Every year I say I'm going to do something- sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn't. I have felt lost this year. My family and I had a major move to Bulverde from Inez, and I have lost my footing. And it's not only me. Many people can relate- it's hard to see your children loose their footing as well. I have been off recently, and besides my kids, I feel it in my writing. In January of this year I finished Only the Guilty Sleep, and I was ready for something new- but nothing came. So I decided to spend more time reading instead of obsessing over what was NOT creating.

New Adult Novels:
Buried in Lies, T.L. Smith
Without Merit, Colleen Hoover
The Cabin, Alice Ward
Pestilence, Laura Thalassa
Living Out Loud, Staci Hart
A LIttle Too Late, Staci Hart
What He Doesn't Know, Kandi Steiner
WHat He Always Knew, Kandi Steiner
Lovin' On You, Fabiola Fransisco
The Masterpiece, Francine Rivers (not really NA, but close enough)

YA Lit:
The Raven Boys, Maggie Stiefvater
Doll, Miracle Austin
A Court of Wings and Ruin, Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Frost and Starlight, Sarah J. Maas
Between the Spark and the Burn, April Tucholke
The Becoming of Noah Shaw, Michelle Hodkin
The Hazelwood, Melissa Albert
In A Dark, Dark Wood, Ruth Ware
The Hate You Give, Angie Thomas
Dear Martin, Nic Stone
The Gay Teens Guide to Defeating a Siren, Cody Wagner
A Study In Charlotte, Brittanty Cavallaro

Tween Books: 
Wonder, R.J. Palacio
Lions and Liars, Kate Beasley
The One and Only Ivan, Katherine Applegate
Wishtree, Katherine Applegate
The Wild Robot, Peter Brown
Evangeline of the Bayou, Jan Edleredge

Is this a lot?? It felt like a lot! And I'm not saying the year is over, but I have turned back to my computer after taking too much time off after reading and analyzing so  many different authors' crafts. I tried to read these books, not just as a reader but as a writer- thinking what can I learn from these people to create a better story, character,  better book hangover? And I'd like to think I accomplished that. 

Back to my manuscript.....

I seem to be reading more and more bokks from the new adult genre, which isn't exactly a genre, I know, I know. This is the second book I have read by Nicole Williams and it was even better than the first.

I say this is a cute story, not even as hardocre as Colleen Hoover or Jamie MacGuire, which I can respect, since it allows the author to develop the characters and their relationship through words and less through their physical needs thrusting off the page at us. Personally, I think the book is better for it.

The Fable of Us is a story about Clara Abbott a successful and stressed-out twenty-something who has spent the past few years avoiding her snooty, over-bearing family. They messed up her relationship once with her ex-boyfriend, Boone Cavanaugh, ans is beyond nervous about the upcoming week of wedding festivities she will havr to endure. What makes it worse (or better), Boone is the first person she runs into once arriving home. She convinces him to be her plus one to the wedding.

I love the way Williams made the heroine just as much part of the family problem and the solution. Midway through the story, Clara realizes she is just as much at fault in creating the division within her family as they are. Clara, like everyone else who has ever had family drama, feels blameless, and most of the time that just isn't true. Clara learns she is jut as much to blame for the families' issues as her parents and sister. Although, Ford is just as ass. I do wish he would have gotten his in the end, but that again wasn't the point of the story.

Families are messy, involved, complicated, and always worth it. This is a great and fast read, and for $2.99 on Kindle definitely worth the money.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Fable-Us-Nicole-Williams-ebook/dp/B01B3NWQ9A

I am very aware I have very little self control. Oops, one more!!!

Like the vast majority of women on this continent, I have apparently fallen in love with the beard trend. It's supposed to be on its way out, but no one has told my subconscious.  I have not been reading much since June. after I spent all of my free time writing and editing. This last month I began reading the Hades Hangmen series and am experiencing my first book hangover in a long while. This is my attempt to fill the void. I'll let you know how it goes! For now, I'm really enjoying reading for pleasure, and not editing.

Check out this book on Goodreads: The Air He Breathes (Elements, #1) http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25564446-the-air-he-breathes

So these were a pretty hardcore romance series for me. I dont know what category this series fits into, but I liked them so much. I wouldn't call it romance, they're definitely HOT! 

Welcome to the world of the biggest and baddest biker gang in Texas (that's probably why I like it. These books, heck this series, was a little out of my comfort zone, but I am a sucker for a tough guy. I did have  slight problem with the language, superfluous violence, and strange group sex scenes. But all of the characters are well-written and surprisingly relatable. And if anyone has or is going to read these- this statement would be shocking because the ladies are sex slaves from a religious cult, and all the of men they fall for are abused, chain-smoking, blasphemous thugs. It shouldn't' be surprising, after all, they call themselves Hades Hangmen.

I binge read all of these last week, so anything I that is negatively inferred should be taken with a grain of salt. I like everything Tillie Cole created. Although I don't think I have ever see the "F" word used so much...and I teach high school! I would love to have seen a little less internal monologue and a little more character interaction in Sould Unfractured, which was my least favorite of the three. Book Four should be coming out soon, and I will be reading it when it comes available. If youre looking for a guilty pleasure this could be it!

I have been so excited to read another book, I have been so busy with work and my own book that I have been laying off reading for a bit.

WHAT?!!?

Yup, I really just said that. Burying Water, by KA Tucker, has been on my radar since I entered a contest on Good reads to win an ARC copy (and subsequently had to buy my own). I loved the storyline so much, and the title, Burying Water. Think about it- one cannot bury water.

I would label this one NA but its got a strong criminal and.mystery element to it. it switches from Jesse, who's got all the goods on the back story,  and Jane Doe, a messed up amnesiac. I'm thinking the stories will collide and Jesse holds all the answers, but I am only on page 89.

I am inhaling this book. It us also part of a series (which I'm honestly tired of...probably stemming from my own series).

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18687114-burying-water

I love it when a debut novel lives up to its hype. Besides some awesome cover art, the Goodreads summary sounds great. I'm trying not to look at too many reviews and judge for myself. I'm starting it tonight once the PJs go on!!

Check out this book on Goodreads: Save Me http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20945113-save-me