APRIL 2020

Another month, come and gone, and a new month has arrived. It happens so fast, doesn't it?

I don't know about you guys, but April kind of went by in a blur for me. (I blame it on Camp NaNo xD) I can't believe it's already over and May is here. o.o Hopefully that means the ACTUAL end of gloomy weather and sunshine is here to stay! (except, y'know, not forever. I still love me some rain.)

BUT ANYWAY it is time to recap the month. READ ON, FRIENDS. 

I only read two books (or maybe two and a half??) in April. *sigh* They were amazing (I'm still on my reread of the Out of Time series), but I do wish I was reading a little faster! Granted, this month was consumed with writing (yay!) so I spent most of my waking moments doing that, but still. I remember when I could finish a book in two days. *cries* HOW DOES ONE HARNESS TIME.

I also got quite a few new books this month and I'm pretty happy about that. xD I got Unblemished by Sara Ella, Rising Shadows by Ashley Townsend, The Story Raider by Lindsay Franklin (I don't have The Story Peddler yet but this one was FOUR DOLLARS so I couldn't pass it up), The Book of Secrets by M.L. Little, Porch Swing Girl by Taylor Bennett, and Captives by Jill Williamson. I also won an ARC of Dust by Kara Swanson???!! I haven't received it yet, but I'm so excited!!

This isn't exactly a reading thing (maybe I should change the title of this segment to "Bookish"?? xD), but I got two candles from Pixie Dust and I am IN. LOVE. (I don't have a picture of both of them, but I got the Romanov one and the Wood Between the Worlds one and they smell SO. GOOD. And they're so prettyyyy.)

It was Camp NaNo month!! *cheers*

My goal this month was to finish the first draft of Once Upon. And guys: I DID IT!

I have no idea why Mark Ruffalo is dancing with a Muppet, but could I pass it up? No.

You know that feeling when you're soo close to finishing a book but it just keeps going on and on...?
That's what happened here. xD I knew the end was in sight, I knew what had to happen, but I got to a point where I just had to keep writing and writing and threading these important scenes together and IT GOT KIND OF EXHAUSTING. But I made it through and I finished!! Once Upon is officially drafted!

My final word count was 92, 585. 50,000-some odd words of that were written last November, and I wrote 42k in April. o.o I can't believe I wrote that much honestly?? Like that's almost a whole other NaNo. I don't really know how I'm still alive.

And can I just say that I was torturing myself by torturing my characters there toward the end? xD It got to the point where I was almost mad at myself (key word: almost) for the stuff they were going through. Especially my precious boy Trentley! *protects him at all costs* *except doesn't because I'm the writer and I will therefore torture him*

I'm going to miss Trentley and Jynnia, but I'm so excited to move on to my next big project! I plan to start rewrites/edits/whatever the heck needs to be done on Roots to Claim next and I AM SO EXCITED. I loved spending April fully immersed in Once Upon, but I joked a few weeks ago about lusting after other stories and, well, that's what's been happening. I can't stop thinking about Roots to Claim and I can't wait to get back into it and reunite with my boys Archlan and Quinard and make myself emotional all over again.

COLLEGE THINGS ARE HAPPENING, PEOPLE. And I'm not a fan. xD

I officially have my schedule for this fall, which doesn't even feel real? I keep forgetting, but the reality is that I start college in three months. o.o I'm not ready? Yet I'm also ready? It's weird. xD Please pray for me as I start this new venture!

The last weekend of the month was something I'd been very, very eagerly anticipating and counting down the days for... an event that got cancelled. -_- Well, not cancelled exactly, but postponed until July. I'm glad it's still happening (and I fully supported it being postponed), but WOW it was frustrating when the days I'd waited so long for arrived for nothing. xD BUT I still had an amazing weekend. I had taken off from work for the event, so I had four days straight at home. (That NEVER happens.) I did some reading, some cleaning, some baking, (okay this is sounding like Tangled?? 100% unintentional but I'm 200% okay with it xD) and SO MUCH WRITING. I honestly don't know if I would have finished Once Upon if it hadn't been for that weekend.

THE MOST EXCITING THING HAPPENED THIS MONTH WHICH I HAVE ALREADY FLAILED ABOUT BUT WE'RE DOING IT AGAIN. THE HAVOK: SEASON TWO ANTHOLOGY CONTAINING MY STORY RELEASED.

I'm so excited about this and I can't believe it's real! I can't wait to have a print copy in my hands. I've been published in a magazine before (yeaaaars ago) but this is different. It's a legit book. I'll be able to say that I have a story ON MY BOOKSHELF.  (Aaand the fact that I'm IN A BOOK WITH JILL WILLIAMSON is pretty darn cool, too. I haven't read any of her books yet but I've been following Go Teen Writers for years so this is just insane.)

*squee*

I went to the Facebook launch party for the anthology (literally created a FB account just for the occasion xD), and it was so much fun! I highly recommend going to the next one if they do it for the next anthology. It was a blast to hang out with the other authors and celebrate all the stories.

Also, the anthology release was the same day I finished writing my book. So that was a really good day. ;D

Have some laughs!

Okay but can I just say how much I am LOVING this channel?? XD Their videos are HILARIOUS and that DISNEY QUARANTINE SONG VIDEO. The whole thing's great, but the end had me DYING. Tangled fans, this one's for us. ;)

YOU ALSO NEED TO WATCH THESE BECAUSE THEY ARE HYSTERICAL:

What I've been listening to:

Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now by Starship // this is one of my new favorite songs IT'S JUST SO GOOD GUYS
Separate Ways by Journey // I got on a bit of an 80s kick and I ain't done yet xD
Disney music // I know that's not very specific but I've been listening to a lot of Disney music xD I listened to the whole Tarzan soundtrack for the first time and IT'S SO GOOD
Brandon and Derek Fiechter // I discovered these fairy tale/fantasy instrumentals on YouTube and it was PERFECT to listen to while writing Once Upon! Definitely look them up, they have a ton of amazing music. (They're on Spotify too!)

I've also been listening to Nadine Brandes' playlist for A Time to Die because um YES I NEED MUSIC TO MATCH THIS BOOK. I haven't quite made it through the whole playlist, but it's perfect. (There are also playlists for the rest of the series! And Fawkes! And Romanov! *heart eyes to all of it)

Oh and on that note: I GOT SPOTIFY PREMIUM. And WOW I'm loving it already! It's so much easier to make playlists than it is on YouTube, and there are no ads. xD

Aand that was my April! It was a good month, with a fantastic finale. I'm so ready to move on to May and see what it holds! I'm excited to keep writing (because I'm totally in a writing mood right now and I just want to plow through and write ALL THE THINGS), reading, praying, and growing. LET'S ROCK THIS MAY, GUYS.

How was your April?? Wrimos, what's the verdict on the first Camp NaNo of 2020? What's some music you've been enjoying lately?