In which She writes about a Succubus

For as long as I can remember I've wanted to be a writer and by golly, that's what I'll be...eventuaaallllyyyyyy. I spend more time reading about writing and just reading in general than I do writing. I know what genre I'm going to write: fantasy. But wait, there's more where that came from! The main character of my novel is a succubus; it's my way of merging the two types of stories I like to write,] erotica and fantasy. I've been writing erotica since I was about 12 and now it's gotten even better, the more years I've gained (not dead yet, go me!), the more experience I've had and the more adult books I've read.

Believe you me, this is not going to be a Fifty Shades of Grey novel. I'm not saying I'm a brilliant author who is close to being a New York Times Bestselling author right now but I'm not bad either; and I sure as hell don't royally suck ass at writing/researching. The thing with Fifty Shades is that it sucked butt and most people could write better than E. L. James, and come up with much better story lines that don't involved screwed-up lookalikes of BDSM (though she did do a ver good job depicting non-consenting sex and violence against women).

So, dear readers, be on the lookout for a fantasy/erotica/adult-themed book from me in the future! I've never written a whole book of the many I've started so here's to hoping I stick to this one.

I want to give you a book!

Dear readers,

I want to give you a book. I know exactly how exciting it is to get a brand-new book, especially one we can choose for ourselves, so I'd like to do that and make you as happy as I get when I get a book (is there a better feeling?).

The book I want you guys to FIGHT FOR DEATH for is Trapped by Michael Northrop. You'll see in a moment from the description on Goodreads can be summed up like this: realistic, non-fantasy/scifi dystopia. I'm not a fan of realistic fiction but I love, love, love dystopian novels that are the latter. But, I know that there are plenty of you readers that do like realistic fiction and I've only ever given out fantasy/scifi so I want to give everyone a little something they could enjoy.

Without further ado, I give you the blurb from Goodreads:

The day the blizzard started, no one knew that it was going to keep snowing for a week. That for those in its path, it would become not just a matter of keeping warm, but of staying alive. . . .

Scotty and his friends Pete and Jason are among the last seven kids at their high school waiting to get picked up that day, and they soon realize that no one is coming for them. Still, it doesn't seem so bad to spend the night at school, especially when distractingly hot Krista and Julie are sleeping just down the hall. But then the power goes out, then the heat. The pipes freeze, and the roof shudders. As the days add up, the snow piles higher, and the empty halls grow colder and darker, the mounting pressure forces a devastating decision. . . .

If you like the sound of this, and I very much hope you do, go ahead and enter for a chance to win this book. You can enter daily for some options so, in order to give yourself more options, I highly recommend you keep entering every day.

Trapped by Micael Northrop

Best,

Angie

The book I couldn't finish, the one I can't put down and moar memes

WWW Wednesday is a weekly event where you share (1) What you’re currently reading, (2) What you recently finished reading, and (3) What you think you’ll read next.

1) I was reading Ensnared by A. G. Howard but then I couldn't get through it. I don't do well marathoning series. I get burnt out. I like remembering what just happened but it's like watching a week-long movie which just wears me out. I can't focus that long and I don't particularly want to; it's nice to have a little break. So, although I was reading it, I stopped and moved on to Lean in for Graduates.

Grammy got me that book when she was first diagnosed with the cancer that killed her last August. She wanted to help me have the best future possible, especially when she knew that she would be gone soon. I graduated last Saturday so it's about time that I read the book--and read it fast! I need to get myself out there, I need a full time job and a new life. I hope this book teaches me how to get those (with only a little help from The Secret).

2) I recently finished Unhinged by A. G. Howard. Loved the book so much that I figured it'd be an awesome idea to read the whole series at one. Wrong. So wrong.

3) I'm already reading what I'm reading next. Slayers by C. J. Hill. So far, so good. I started it llast night as soon as I got it in the mail from Book Outlet and I'm loving it so far. So far. As in, 20 pages into the book and I can say that only as far as I've gone I've liked.

Now that that's over, let's look at a book on my wish list: (Wednesday meme) Talon and Rogue. Whelp, that was easy.

 I know very little about them other than the cover looks like a dragon and I fucking love that. (Which is why I'm currently reading Slayer).

Happy reading, my fellow book addicts!

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What, you don’t carry a book around with you in your house?

It's time for another meme! This one: Booking through Thursday. Tell me in the comments if you do the same; or what you do differently.

Do you carry a book around with you? Inside the house? Whenever you go out? Always, everywhere, it’s practically glued to your fingers?

Of course I do! Who knows when a moment will arise during my day that I can open a book and read as long as the break lasts. Better safe than sorry, right? I carry at least two books around, so I have options. I usually read two books at a time, either one non-fiction and one fiction or both fiction. Occasionally I have two nonfiction books at one time but my brain can only process so many books I cannot easily get into at once so I’ve found that none to one nonfiction books are best; especially considering my attention span and how easy I find it to get lost in fiction.

Inside the house I carry my phone and a book pretty much wherever I go. If I’m watching TV? There are commercials that I could be reading through. While I cook dinner? That’s at least ten minutes of semi-interupted reading I could be doing. Besides, I, quite frankly, feel naked and confused without a book by my side or my phone on top of it.

I choose my purses based on how many books I can fit in it and a notebook for my writing (NYT Bestselling future author here--just watch!). It kills me that I can’t read my book while I drive. I’ve only had one wonderful experience where traffic wasn’t moving at all for about an hour so I read instead of driving, occasionally drifting forward when necessary (don’t judge me--I wouldn’t do it in traffic that was moving at least 10 mph faster than that. [winkey face]).

The book I bought that falls flat

Wishlist Wednesday!

Zomg, you guys! It's almost Thursday, which is almost Friday and Friday is the mother-flippin' weekend, bro. Next to Top Ten Tuesday's, this meme is my favorite. It's the meme that gets me excited about the books I super-duper want but don't yet have that I must--MUST have on my bookshelf. It'll take some time before I add these puppies to my rainbow--that's right, I said rainbow--bookshelves.

For this installment of Wish List Wednesday I'm going to introduce you to a book I just got that I've read several times then lost; I held off as long as possible but I just couldn't wait any longer. I first saw it on Oprah, it was a documentary about the Law of Attraction, the idea that thoughts create your reality, something that is not a secret, though by titling the book The Secret, Rhonda Byrne created a world-wide Law of Attraction-fuck-fest and took credit for this not-at-all secret.

Regardless, it's a cool book, one that I need to read to remind myself that I create my reality. Good premise, bad book, but I keep reading it. Here's what you should know before you pick yourself up a copy: some of this is bullshit. Like, for instance, the whole blame-the-victim-for-rape thing. Not cool. You have to pick and choose carefully what you want to believe.


Happy reading, my little book worms! And choose carefully, if you plan on reading this book, what you want to apply to your life and what bits you can tell to kiss your ass.

 

The Authors I Super-Duper Want to Meet

This is easy. So. Easy. No question about it. Some of these are new authors I've discovered in the past year or two (Maas, Takir, Bardugo, Carriger) and  and then others that I've been reading since I was young (J K Rowling, 'cause she's super-duper awesome, Garth Nix and Wrede). The list is in no particular order, I've love to meet every single one of them.

1.  Sara J. Maas: Throne of Glass series is one of the most recent series I've read. I follow dat woman on Twitter (@angie_on_Books if you want to follow me) and she's super awesome. Her writing is superb and, for a while, it was my favorite series until I read a few others I loved along with Throne of Glass. The day A Court of Thorns and Roses came out I snatched myself a copy. Of course, I promptly lost it, but now I have a pretty dust jacket to look at while I eagerly await the finding (it's somewhere in my car or house!) of it so I can read my butt off.


2. Saaba Tahir: The author of my most recently favorite book, An Ember in the Ashes. I've already raved about her book and the review will be live very soon. Anticipate it, folks! You're going to love the review (because I wrote it, of course you will!) and the book as well. I would love to meet that talented woman to have her sign my second copy and the dust jacket of my first copy that was totes stolen because, hey, it's a great book. I hope they enjoy it as much as I did!


3. A. G. Howard: I didn't discover her until about a month ago, when I saw the cover to her series, Splintered. My broke ass took a giant leap of faith and asked Abrahms books for a review copy of the first book, and later with the last two. I was bouncing-up-and-down-my-work-chair-why-are-people-looking-at-me-like-that thrilled that they sent me the review copies. I gobbled the first two up and am slowly working my way through the third, Ensnared. Sometimes when I binge on a series that isn't Harry Potter I get overwhelmed by the world, I usually take a break. I'm thinking a break from this series would have been best but I'm halfway there and there's no looking back now!


4. J K Rowling: This should go without saying. Seriously, why would I even have to mention her all all? You all should know how amazing she is and want desperately to meet her and read her books.  All the books I've read and for the ones I haven't. Harry Potter is a series I read every year. And I'm even more excited than ever because I just got the whole Harry Potter series in hardback and oh-em-gee that makes me so happy and it even more exciting to re-read!


5. Tamora Pierce: Along with The Enchanted Forest Chronicles and Garth Nix's books (Shade's Children and Abhorsen Trilogy--which has now grown to four books) was one of the authors I remember reading in middle school through high school, that got me hooked on the fantasy genre.


6. Patricia C. Wrede: Another authors of one of my favorite series as a middle schooler and still true today. A wonderful friend of mine got me the series that I first remember reading as a (very) young adult. I can never read it too much. The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, Calling on Dragons


7. Gail carriger: My first introduction into the world of Steampunk, a world I will always be a part of, especially when I have monies, you know, so I can attend fun thingies, buy more Steampunk books and invest in some Steampunk styled clothing. It's something to look forward to one day; I eagerly await the time when I can be a part of that culture to the fullest. Her first book I read with The Finishing School series, Etiquette and Espionage-- a YA series and then, not too long later, I read the first book in the Parasol Proctorate, Soulless. I enjoyed the second series much more than the first but that didn't stop me from continuing the YA series (have read the first two, have yet to read Waistcoats and Weaponry.


8. Garth Nix: Sabriel, the first book in the Abhorsen trilogy was another memorable middle/high school series that I loved and have read at least twice. I have the last two books and will eventually get the first and then eat my heart out, reliving the series again.


9. Veronica Roth: I've read Divergent and Insurgent and am putting off reading Allegiant. Honestly, I don't love this series but I own all her books, and I'd love to get them signed. The second book was boring, the first was full of surprises that kept me wanting to read all the more. This is a series I will finish but I'm in no hurry to do so. Regardless, Roth is a talented author, one as I hope to be one day, and she has a very creative mind (you kind of have to when I comes to fantasy/scifi, of course). My mother loved the books, as many other people have, as well as the movies so I say, more power to her! I want to meet that wonderful author and, one day, at my leisure, finish her Divergent series.


10. Leigh Bardugo: This is the author that made my top three series of (so far) 2015. I will never forget this series and will re-read it in a few years, if not sooner. I'm still super-flippin'-bummed that there won't be any more coming along (at least that's my understanding). That woman. Dat woman I must meet and have her sign all mah books!

There you go: the easiest TTT I've ever written. Great times reading all of these author's books, I can only hope to meet them someday. Happy reading, my little book hounds!

 

The Gift of Reading

I want to tell you a story, a heartbreaking story of a book that went missing and was never found. Prepare yourself: get a box of tissues and some chocolate to sooth the soul. When I lost An Ember in the Ashes last week I had about 40 pages left. I was quite literally wrought with grief. There was no way I could afford to get another copy and I very much wanted to have it in my collection. It's one of those books that I want to keep for-fucking-ever.  I’m drowning in doctor bills, now more than ever since I broke a rib coughing because I had bronchitis. I was feeling super down because I, quite simply, should NOT be buying books. (Isn't that a horrifying thought?)

After I bought my first copy of An Ember in the Ashes I devoured that thing like I hadn’t read in days (I had, btw) so when I lost it (no one turned it in so is it fair to say it was stolen?) that sucked. Like, it sucked major ass. I only had $30 left on my Barnes and Noble gift card and that, quite frankly, is how I’m going to get books the rest of the year. I lamented my bad fortune on Twitter, like a true reader, incredibly upset.

But then, the next day, I woke up to a “Congratulations” message from Barnes and Noble presenting a gift card for $20 from a “Friend of Sabaa Tahir”. It was amazing, I was so touched, that someone cared deeply enough about books that they gave me enough money to buy another copy with a note, instructing me to get the book and finish that darn thing! So, I threw on some clothes and broke every speed limit ‘till I got to Barnes and Noble. I literally ran inside and grabbed another copy of the book and raced down the stairs and purchased it. I went back upstairs (my favorite part of BN because the YA fiction is up there) and I read the 40 pages I had left until I finished it and started the first stage of grief,  as I am prone to get after I finish a good book. Browsing the YA section cheered me up a bit and took my thoughts off the sad fact that I'm going to have to wait a very, very long time for the sequel to come out.

To be surrounded by books, new books, that I will one day own, and to read the gifted book in that store, with the new books to keep me company, was a wonderful feeling. I am so thankful to “Friend of Sabaa”, I hope they realize how special that was and have great it made me feel.

And I owe another thanks to a friend and a follower who gifted me The Enchanted Chronicles series, one of the first series I remember reading as a young girl; it helped me through some really shitty times in my life and to own it myself, to be able to take that nice, new book off my shelf and read it--without facing all of those fines I end up racking up at the library with every single book I check out--as many times as my heart desires, is a wonderful feeling.

Getting the gift of a book gives me a thrill like nothing else I’ve experienced in my 24 years of life. When it’s a good book, I not only have content for my blog, I also have gone through a whole ‘nother world and I will always have that experience; when it’s not the best book, then I have some content for my blog, too, and I learn a bit more about myself as a reader. Regardless, I want the opportunity to own the worlds that I get to live in so I can do it over and over and over again.

I’ll write another post about why I like to own books, but, very briefly: Owning a book makes me feel connected to it, in a way I don’t experience with library books. I get so very excited waiting for one in the mail or going to a bookstore and picking one or two out, knowing that it’s mine, all mine and that I can read it, love it, then put it on my bookshelf surrounded by other books I love; books that I can keep forever. I tried explaining this to my mother and sister--that me getting books is like them getting clothing frequently. It’s "my thing", just like clothing is "their thing." I’m sure makes a lot more sense to my readers than it does to my sister and my mom ;)

Again, a million thanks to Friend of Sabaa and Steven who gave me the gift of two worlds and many lives. I look forward to (re)visiting them many, many times. A review of these two books/series (in the case of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles) will be coming up. Stay tuned and happy reading!

-Angie