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What Happened In July? (Ft. Inky Awards Shortlist, Lemon Meringue Pie, and Procrastination!)

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goodbyeeeee July, you industrious month of quality procrastination and writing.

I accidentally instigated a #ProcrastiBAKING cult on instagram and, no, I am not sorry. It has amused me very much. Yes ProcrastiBAKING was already a thing; but I keep posting about it and now my instagram friends are baking instead of writing and ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ look. I’m so proud of the quality chaos I spread.

I mean, I laugh about the procrastinating levels I go to; but it’s a sobbing laugh because I’m stressed 🎉 depressed 🎉 and at least well dressed. Hence the procrastination. But I consider it a successful July. 😌

  • For like exactly half a minute, I caught up on my Goodreads challenge. (Lol I’m behind again now.)
  • I wrote an immense amount on a secret WIP. It was supposed to be an “edit” but I ended up rewriting every second sentence because apparently I hate myself.
  • I’ve been working super hard with Melissa from @thereaderandthechef helping host @mtmctours! This is a tour company where we promote books (indie + traditional authors welcome!) and we make a sensational team if I do say so myself. #Humble.
  • Instagram royally spat in my face by taking away likes as a “test” for select countries. Sometimes I hate instagram. 🙃I posted my reasons here in a tidy little rant.
  • I’ve been freelance blogging with Hooked To Books which is fabulous. And you can see my latest posts about How To Read More Books and 50 LGBT YA Book Recs.
  • I have recently made a lemon meringue pie and also chocolate ice cream and these are reasons to live I swear. 🙌🏻

exciting news!! The Boy Who Steals Houses is now available on Kindle and Nook in the USA!

I’m CHEERING. I was so disappointed when this didn’t happen for so long (no don’t ask me why it took 3 months 😒 overlooked small author life apparently) and I’m always terrified people will just go pirate it. Aka leave me with less chance of more book deals. So this is a relief, sweet sweet relief.

You can find TBWSH on Amazon USA here!

My first book, A Thousand Perfect Notes, should also be available on kindle. And oh wow if you want to leave reviews? I would be so so so so so grateful. Every review and photo and tweet helps an extraordinary amount.

And A Thousand Perfect Notes has has been shortlisted for an Inky Award!

Which is pretty surreal 😍This is an Aussie award and the judges are all teens — I love this because this is exactly the audience who my books are for and knowing they’re reading and loving it is intensely special. If you’re between 13-19 you can vote for me here. I’m up against BIG NAME AUTHORS so kind of freaking out!

I’m super lucky to have had some incredible moments this month. THIS in particular has been so encouraging.

And then I get constant messages from incredible people on instagram, reading and supporting and cheering for my books. 😭💛 It means the WORLD to me. My mental health is really rough, my next two books have been rejected and I’m honestly very low and blocked. But I’m just happy/sobbing that I’ve been writing again. It’s giving me hope when I’ve been so stalled. 💛 I’ve only been an author for one year (ONE YEAR!!) and these author boots are overwhelming to wear; but I’m still so grateful for the chance.

 

So someone gave me library access again and I am UNSTOPPABLE 🙌🏻 Also…I have borrowed too much and my ARC tbr is yelling at me. But then when is it not.

Still behind but catching up. Fear me.

And I also am floundering trying to remember when/where/WHY I have received books so…um, bear with me.

 

(all covers link to goodreads)

BOOKS BOUGHT…

From library

FOR REVIEW…

Vote and help meeeee!

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here is a round up of my reads and thoughts!

JADE CITY | Absolutely the BEST of the month and I’m totally obsessed and freaking out over the Kauls. This is adult fantasy and it’s clever, political, family-centric, and punched me in the mouth. Several times. Hilo is my favourite, I won’t deny; he would fite, will fite, and is waiting to fite.

SPIN THE DAWN | This solidly takes second place for favourite of July! It was so so good. Whimsical and also full of the most perfectly hysterical banter. Edan x Maia are one of my fave ships of 2019. Also the ending??? So rude??? I just got hit yET AGAIN and I am bruised and need the sequel.

CALL IT WHAT YOU WANT | Another Kemmerer favourite to leave me sobbing with emotions. It was soft and powerful, and also the friendships in this one. 😍I am forever in love.

ALL OF US WITH WINGS | A controversial one in the community and I had a lot of detailed thoughts about what was being called problematic. 👀It’s a story about grief and healing; but also contains a lot of adult things and a creepy romance. I DON’T think it was YA but I think it’s an important very #ownvoices story from a POC author that shouldn’t be dismissed because it’s dark.

HEARTSTREAM | a super twisty and messed up thriller about the terrifying obsessive levels people go to with boybands/social media. It was pretty clever, but also…not my fave content? So I recommend still.

MOONCAKES | the actual cuuuutest graphic novel!! It was so SOFT and the art is beautiful, whimsical, and just homey. It’s not out till October, but it was Read Now on Netgalley if you want to try it! It’s queer, nonbinary love interest, both main characters are POC, there are werewolves and witches and 🤗It’s good.

HUNGRY HEARTS | The anthology of my DREAMS. 😌13 stories, ALL food based (although tbh it needed more desserts but ok) and they all interconnected so cleverly I’m in awe of the authors. Anna-Marie McLemore’s story was my favourite; but there is so much diversity, love, and heart in them all. Some are also super dark lol. I loved it.

SORCERY OF THORNS | I expected to love this but 😔It felt like a rehash of The Infernal Devices, and I just had no connection or interest in Elisabeth. Meanwhile Silas/Nathaniel had the most intriguing demon/sorcery backstory, connection, and dynamics but they always took a backseat. I wanted the whole book to be about them, oops.

YOU ASKED FOR PERFECT | ok this was CUTE. It’s a soft contemporary about this over-achieving, super stressed straight-A and violinist student who is just…cracking under the stressed. I was so so stressed reading it ok. Softly queer with #ownvoices Jewish rep too. It was just lovely…when Ariel and I weren’t panicking about a test.

 

OTHER BOOKS READ

So I have this deep adoring love of fanart…

And I decided to splurge and get a few pieces of Redbubble!! Which is really affordable if you buy postcards. I do wish I could support artists more because they deserve it. omg the talent. Anyway I have to show you because I’m so excited. 😂I’ll link all the photos to the artists’ accounts!

Am I a little obsessed with The Raven Cycle? WHO CAN SAY. But these are just freaking everything. 😍😍

 

| WHAT DO YOU THINK |

how was your July? tell me your BEST read? and did anyone do camp NaNo and how did you go???

 

Being A Bookworm With A Sensory Processing Disorder

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Today I sat on my floor, making Instagram stories and procrastinating the huge task of rearranging my entire room.

Look, when you’ve got 600+ books the thought of moving them all makes you internally scream yourself into the 12th dimension.

“so why were you rearranging your room, c.g.?” you ask cautiously. “are you procrastinating writing your book again.”

I mean YES. That is a call out and a slight attack but not wrong. But I had dual reasons this time. I’m blogging a little differently today, because I want to talk about…

Sensory Processing Disorder

It’s actually something (a) tons of people have, and (b) they often don’t have a word for it. And, as a bookworm and writer, I totally believe in the empowerment of words and the use of language to better understand yourself. And I also am just mega salty today because this disorder sucketh greatly and I am going to whinge to you, my fave captive audience. (gET AWAY from that exit button. Pretend you are captive🤗)

Also like it’s PRETTY OBVIOUS. This is a book blog, I am a bookworm who often spells their name backwards, and I’m noooot a doctor. This isn’t a diagnostic analysis of SPD. It’s just my personal experiences. Consider yourself disclaimed by this disclaimer.

 

➢ who usually has Sensory Processing Disorder? (SPD)

It’s really common for neurodiverse people to have this. So like if you have ADHD, autism, anxiety, depression…etc. etc. Autistics (like meeee) are extremely well known for their sensory aversions. Most autistics in media are shown visibly stimming (hand flapping; spinning; rocking etc) and while not all of us stim like that — it’s still a self-soothing mechanism we retreat to because of sensory overload.

I’m a high functioning autistic in most aspects. But when it comes to SPD…matey mate, I am not doing very well at all. It’s not fun to admit. But I often say I’m having a “hard time” and don’t clarify. This contributes a LOT to my low points.

➢ having SPD means you can’t filter or regulate your senses

Everything is the same level of loudness. A bright light is like an exploding solar system. Food textures are too intense. Weird fabrics on your skin hurt. It’s hard to focus on what someone is saying to you because there’s a dog barking all the way across the street and you can’t zone into words while your brain is also stuck listening to that barking.

Things that don’t bother other people can cause you physical pain. And then anxiety gets attached to it. Like there was this one time you didn’t sleep for WEEKS because of frogs croaking outside your window; now you have panic attacks at the thought of frogs.

And look SPD doesn’t make “sense”. Somedays you can handle things quite stolidly. Things that seem like they should trigger your SPD don’t even register at all. And if you can control something, it’s often not as bad. For instance: music triggers me to panic an incredible amount…but I can listen to music with headphones. I’ve analysed this a lot, because it seems so hypocritical. But see, I choose music with specific beats or styles + I can turn it off at any time + I generally am exercising while listening, so it’s the only thing I’m focusing on. Plus exercise actually helps brains process things better. (Ever paced around while you memorised something and it worked better? Same thing.😌)

 

and look everyone is different with this

Different levels of sensitivity. Different things set different people off. Different reactions are given.

Sounds are excruciatingly painful to me. While my autistic niece (the actual loudest person ever) can’t handle many fabric textures.

 

➢ What is happening?

Our senses are working 100 x overboard. They aren’t processing, decoding, compartmentalising, or toning things down.

We can’t just “ignore it” — it’s like having someone beat a hammer against and anvil. But the hammer is a ticking noise and the anvil IS YOUR POOR FRIKKIN’ HEAD. It can be such A Lot™ for us to handle, with ups and downs of anxiety making it worse.

People are there, eyebrows rising, saying, “Is she…crying…over a clock ticking?”

Yes, yes, she is crying over a clock ticking. Welcome to SPD.

 

This was a long long way to wind to the explanation of *why* I was rearranging my room, wasn’t it?

Here’s the thing: outside my bedroom wall is a dripping gutter. It tap-tap-taps in a way that is excruciating to me and makes me panic. I can’t sleep. It triggers panic attacks. It’s not constant, so some nights are fine and others are sheer hell. I hesitated in trying this swap of moving my bed to a different wall because I can here this minuscular dripping all over my room. But I had to try SOMETHING. Or else I was going to bit the gutter off my roof with my teeth.

(My family said “do not do that c.g.” so they’re fun.)

remember those two books I wrote? A Thousand Perfect Notes and The Boy Who Steals Houses?

I have massive nods to SPD in both of them! For ATPN, it was actually unintentional. Beck has anxiety (not autism) but his whole performance chapter was an ode to an SPD meltdown.

Sam from TBWSH wasn’t named autistic on page but shhh shhh he totally is. (“Nah he isn’t autistic!” said a silly young writer named MEEEEE while three of my beta readers gave me the 🤨 look and said, “uh yes he is.” Lmao. I’m dying. You were all right.) He sensory seeks the entire book but in That Chapter when he goes to a party…the sensory overwhelm is intense. Moxie basically has to pet him and hold his hand. Get yourself A MOXIE. 🙌🏻

 

So I spent today hauling books — neglecting my overdue library books and chapters I needed to write. But I did it. And my fingers are crossed that it might help.

I don’t talk a lot about autism or my personal life here…like I’m SHY. And oddly reserved for being on the internet so much.

But I like to occasionally break habits and talk about things like this because (1) it helps others not feel alone and (2) it’s good to walk in other’s shoes and experience differences. So I wanted to share!

I don’t want anyone to feel bad for me or see this as a clingy “WOE IS MEEE” post. This is me, being a bit raw and unfiltered. I’ve been struggling to come up with blog content recently so maybe I’ll do more of this. WhO KNOWS.

All I know is that having a sensory processing disorder isn’t about being irrational or selfish or dramatic. It’s real and it’s painful and we’re just doing our best to live comfortable lives where we can function and cope. 💛

 

| what about you? |

i know posts like these can sometimes be hard to comment on but dO NOT FEAR!! i like to chat 🤗 tell me if you have SPD experiences? or if you write things you struggle with into your books?

 

What Happened in March? (Ft. The Boy Who Steals Houses is Nearly Here + Book Tour News!)

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I realise the title of my recap posts is “what happened in March”…but I am still not quite sure.

Like, a lot happened. But also it freaking d r a g g e d out 50 x longer than a normal month. Because sOMEONE’S BOOK COMES OUT ON THE 4TH OF APRIL WHICH IS OFFICIALLY…

5. DAYS. AWAY.

Only…only 5 days until The Boy Who Steals Houses is hereeeeeee.

(Except it’s actually out in Australia on the 9th so you all need to just suffer quietly in the background there ok. Sorry about that. At some point I will ask why books don’t release on the same dates, but publishing is a mysterious beast.)

So if you can help me celebrate release day on the 4th of April by posting about The Boy Who Steals Houses…I will love yoooooou forever.😍

Like, just a tweet or an instagram post or a mention in your instagram Stories or…anything!!! I can’t even say how much I’d appreciate it. Basically I’m a small author with a small release so ALL the help is appreciated. 🎉

UGH LOOK AT THIS ATTRACTIVE BOI.

PREORDER DETAILS

Goodreads | Amazon US | Amazon UK | Booktopia | Book Depository

➸ So obviously I’m freaking out with Author !!! nerves !!! here.

Everything about The Boy Who Steals Houses has been really really different to the lead up from my debut last year (A Thousand Perfect Notes). ARCs went out later, there are less reviews up, it’s not featured in any book boxes so I don’t have that to promote…etc. etc. I’m so nervous about it doing well?! I need it to. I desperately want to be able to write and sell more books — so it’s like all this ajfdskladj < error > ajfdksladjkl pressure in my head.

BUT. I’m also enjoying the anticipation. The messages from people! The excitement! I’ve read some such meaningful and lovely reviews my soul cried happy tears.

I’ve got one author-copy but I’ll get a box eventually and I can’t waaaaait for that either. (I’ve cleared out a place in my shelf haha.)

And I’m just freaking proud of this book, ok? I am. It has my heart and I’m still not fully over being immersed in it.

I’m just so so happy it gets to exist in this world.

 

➸ There’s going to be a UK blog tour!

My publishers organised this and I’m so excited for the content that’s going up!

I wrote a personal piece on Autism Representation in YA + another piece on all the inspiration behind the book. And remember how I was whining about cutting a cute fluffy scene about potatoes??

WELL GUESS WHAT YOU GET TO READ!!!!!

It’s going to be up! Extra content!! So make sure you keep your eyeballs on this tour, ok, and I’ll be shouting out links here + on my social medias. (Even my publicist said it’s super cute ok 😍)

 

➸ And reviews? Reviews are so helpful.

So if you’ve read it or are going to read it = I’d loooove if you reviewed it! Goodreads, Amazon, retailers, your blog, etc. etc. Of course there’s no pressure. But it’s so so helpful and I would give you, like, half the kingdom if I could.

 

➸ I also splurged and commissioned fanart.

I’M SO EXCITED. I’ve got prints coming, so I’ll reveal it when they arrive but ajfdkslad it is the actual most best thing.

 

➸ I also blogged about my publishing journey for The Boy Who Steals Houses!

So don’t forget to catch that here if you want to read it! Plus here are some books to read while you’re waiting for release date. (PS. I recommend these wholly!)

 

➸ Speaking of blog posts…I’ve done some interviews with amazing bloggers, so please do check them out!

  • Over on my publishers blog → I list 10 things you need to know about TBWSH before reading!
  • Reading Anyone → I talk about motivation to keep writing and the pressure of blogging vs writing.
  • Everlasting Library → I talk about the importance of writing books about mental illness and disabilities + my favourite book worlds!
  • Chasm of Books → I give querying tips and talk about my author inspirations!
  • Keturah’s Korner → I talk about how I found an agent and landed my book deal + talk about how many buried book drafts I’ve written.
  • Imi Reviews Books → we do an epic back-and-forth discussion style and both chat about writing styles and writing ownvoices autism rep!
  • Uwadis → super excited about this behind-the-scenes interview wtih Thy Bui, my cover designer! There are some early drafts of the cover here too. Thanks to Etinosa for organising this!!
  • Book Dragonism → am chatting to Rain about why I wrote a genderbent Goldilocks retelling + how I handle the ups and downs of publishing.

(Also PS. if you want me on your blog for an interview?! I WOULD LOVE TO. Just email me cait@paperfury.com and we’ll get it set up!)

 

➸ And lastly…Laini Taylor said THIS:

So basically I can retire now omgggggg.

 

➸ My goals is 18 books per month…but I’m struggling.

yes yes I might also be a bit distracted with book releases etc. But I’m constantly behind on ARCs and I feel bad. Also I used to always read 200 books a year with zero problems?! Now I barely know when to possibly fit in writing time, gah. So I’m probably going to cut back. Even by just a book or two. But #DoNotLike this reality check that I’m not superhuman.

((all covers link to goodreads))

BOOKS BOUGHT…

From library

FROM AUTHORS…

FROM PUBLISHERS…

FROM NETGALLEY / EDELWEISS…

excuse me while I be ridiculously proud that I actually read a ton of these the MONTH I GOT THEM. 😂 The bar for being proud of me is on the ground.

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(hover over covers to flip them for a mini review !! and click to see full-length review!)

 

I really enjoyed doing a full Grishaverse reread before tackling King of Scars too!

I’m still listening to the audio of Crooked Kingdom but hopefully I’ll finish it today or tomorrow. So just imagine it’s here haha. I definitely think Six of Crows/Crooked Kingdom are her masterpieces, but I just looove the world. AND NIKOLAI.

Overall it was a good reading month but mostly rereads? And the really only new one I feel completely in love with was Red, White & Royal Blue.

 

➸ And YAY for April because it’s #AutismAcceptance Month! Yeah we’re skipping the “autism awareness” slogan because (a) that’s from Autism Speaks who are confirmed garbage, and (b) people know about autism, they just don’t accept it. I also saw someone call it Autism Pride month and I’m like 💖✨💕😍🎉 to this title too.

Anyway I hope to do some autism posts! I have a collab idea in mind and am gathering some autistic friends to contribute. And I’m gonna give you some book recs too! Also this is like the PERFECT month to read The Boy Who Steals Houses because the main character’s brother is autistic and I love him so.

 

➸ Also…I’m moving house again. Look someone call me out about writing a book where a character craves a steady home while I move around all the time looool (CUE SOBBING IN THE BACKGROUND). No, but I’m keen for this move, I just hate the actual process. I will, however, have a good local library again. That is worth everything. I’m not sure the exact date we’ll go? But probably in a month or so. Watch me spiral into stress. Because you know who handles change well? Not me.😌(And yes, I do still live with my parents for health reasons.)

 

➸ And because of moving house…I had to rearrange my shelves. Ok here’s the story: I had my main bookshelf in the centre of my floor so I could use both sides. I have a lot of books ok. Now apparently this isn’t conducive to selling a house if you try to walk into my bedroom and you have to squeeze through this narrow gap between shelves. (WHY IS THIS A PROBLEM.) Cue entire room rearrange. But it looks good so I’m happy!

And, omg, I had a massive book clean out. We’re talking culling like 140+ books. I donated to the library and the local secondhand stores. It hurt to see them go. But I also didn’t…even…like…those books? Where is the sense, son, where is it.

Anyway I like to contemplate my MORTALITY AND SURE DEATH while sleeping below this. I don’t have a bed, ok, I have bookshelves. (Also you can see my A Thousand Perfect Notes Beck/August fanart! And those are edit notes on my wall…for mysterious things.) And yes there’s a shrine for ATPN. As there should be.

The rainbow shelf is still here of course!

So basically I rearranged everything for photos + selling the house. And in a month I’ll have to pack it all up to do the actual moving-house. So 😂 who’s exhausted already? Meeeee.

I left space for my author copies of The Boy Who Steals Houses!

And you know the real problem here? I did all this and NO ONE brought me cheesecake as a reward. I live in a fallen world.

Now when you think to yourself, “Wow I bet Cait is busy prepping for her book’s release,” you can know I do indeed have 100 things I need to do. I am procrastinating 99 of them by reorganising my shelves.

 

➸ Most of my news goes up on Instagram and Twitter! So do follow me there if you want to know what’s going on. I mean not that *I* know what’s going on. But between the three of us (you + me + the ghosts in the walls) we should figure this out. 🙌🏻

 

right, so what have you been up to in March? what was your best vs worst read? do you often rearrange your shelves? and are you ready for my book to steal your house!!!! 🤗

 

What Happened In January? (Ft. My Cover Reveal + New Blog Design Coming!)

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Is it just me or does January last approximately 1000 years?

Because I have questions about this, sir. Ugh. I feel like January just goes on and on because we’re depressingly out of Christmas chocolates by now and the weather is quite extreme. I hear the Americans are freezing. I’m DROWNING. It hasn’t stopped raining in two. freaking. months.

 

But hey it’s a new year, so I’ve been changing things up a bit recently like:

➸ my graphic headers for my posts are different!
➸ I’m going to format my wrap-up posts a bit differently too.
➸ I’m back to blogging more! After I was an absolute holey bucket last year…I swear I got nothing done.
➸ There is absolutely a new blog design coming sooooon. HOPEFULLY this should fix my email-subscription-problem too.
➸ Because yes, sob, I’m aware emails don’t get sent out anymore. It’s hella depressing.
➸ Also I deleted an absolute ton of my embarrassing archives looool. It was time. New year clean up!
➸ But can you please let me know if you ever get email replies to my comments?? (Only answer the poll below if you actually comment here frequently enough to notice if you get replies! Just so I can gauge if THAT widget is broken too.)
➸ CUE HYSTERICAL LAUGHING SOBS.

do you get emailed my replies to your comments?

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Also I read Queen Of Air And Darkness AND The Wicked King….and consequently am d e a d.

They were both absolutely PERFECT and vicious and my emotions are in seventeen pieces !!! these are two of my most favourite authors and they did not disappoint at all.

 

➸ In case you missed it…my second book, The Boy Who Steals Houses, HAS A COVER!

It’s out April 4th! And it is beautiful and I’m so so overwhelmed with happiness on how hyped everyone was to see it! Bookstagram gave my reveal photo all the love in particular (YOU’RE MY FAVE, BOOKSTAGRAM) and twitter got hyped too! It also ranked in the 300s on Book Depository this week (like out of thousands of books, um !!!! omg !!!) and hit some lists for bestselling preorders. I can’t even. You ALL!!!! And I possibly changed my twitter header because I have little to no chill.

And if you want to add it on Goodreads or preorder…!!! you know I would love you more than cake!!

 

and this is my editor…

(Aren’t I a sweet person to work with!!)

➸ I think ARCs will be here in February!

I say think because I know less than Jon Snow. But I’m entirely made up of wires and short-circuiting nerves and happiness at the thought of some of you meeting my favourite soft sons early.

 

➸ I also am writing all the things again.

It’s really odd to be, on one hand, like: “HERE IS MY BOOK THAT IS COMING OUT IN EXACTLY 60 DAYS!” but on the other hand, you need to be writing new drafts and doing edits and pitching new books to editors because (on average) it takes a book 2-3 years to go to the shelf. It’s overwhelming and terrifying and my mental health has been Not Great™ and I want to keep being able to publish books so so badly — so there has been a bit of writing paralysis going on.

But I have (1) something to edit, (2) something to draft just for fun, and (3) a new project to start soon. And I’m looking forward to it.

Going to go type furiously and try to keep my mood as a !!! instead of just a long line of ,,,,,,,,,,, which is my brain just waiting for a miracle to happen and it to start functioning again lolol.

 

 

➸ I read 18 books this month! Which is my goal for every month in 2019.

My overall goal is 200 books and yES thE mATh is QUESTIONABLE. But I didn’t come here to count, you little onion. Don’t ask these things of me. And I actually haven’t done a book haul post since, um, November. So I have no idea what’s going on.

 

((all covers link to goodreads))

BOOKS BOUGHT…

     

FROM PUBLISHERS…

       

 

FROM NETGALLEY / EDELWEISS…

       

 

Good news is I’ve read a lot of these already. Bad news is I’M GONNA DIE UNDER MY TBR STILL.

 

 

((hover over covers to flip them for a mini review !! and click to see full-length review!))

 

 

 

➸ I’m trying to be on twitter less this year. I’ll still post my pithy writer quips, but I want to do less aimless scrolling because…it making me Sad. (I also wish it was more equal between calling out problematic content = to hyping good content.) However I LOVE Instagram! It’s like such a positive community, plus we really cheer each other on without snark and I just??? love it so much??? I still hate the algorithm which lets 5% of my followers see my photos BUT. We can’t have everything. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

➸ I have plots to make a lamington ice cream cake. This is the essence of my existence at this point.

➸ I’ve been filling in my Reading Journal! I also use Goodreads and a spreadsheet. No it’s not overboard, it is simply **PREPARED** (for what, I don’t know? But I still list books in 3 places!)

➸ I finally bought a kindle! So I don’t have to scroll on a teeny tiny iPod screen anymore. Look at me GO, doing something functional for myself for once!

➸ And if you’d like to see me talk about any specific aspects of writing / publishing / editing / specifically TBWSH, etc…let me know in the comments! I need post ideas lmao.

➸ Here’s to FEBRUARY! Which is a ridiculously small month that I will still try to fit 31 days of work into 28. LET’S GO!!

 

do your January’s go fast or slow? and what was your BEST vs DISAPPOINTING read of this month?? (hey writers, are you getting hyped for your projects for this year?) and tell me what your favourite social media platforms are?

#AmCurrently ~ October (Am I Doing NaNo?! + I Found A Library + Maaaaybe I Fixed My Blog)

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Oh WOW look at that! Only 2 months left of the year and I need to squeeze about 23 years worth of books in!

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN.

Nothing motivates me to actually do things like it being November and me recalling a list of goals I made in January and how I’ve done 4% of them. Umm my bad. I got so industrious this month though that I wrote a pre-NaNo draft (which turned out about as well as a pile of crumbled bricks) and hit 180 for my Goodreads challenge!

I need !! to do !! so much before 2019 !!! how have I done nothing !!! ahhhhh

I’m also currently away from home right now!

I’m visiting my sister (which involves 1 plane flight to see 4 nieces and nephews and devour 2 shelves of library books in delirious delight). But this means I won’t have any photos of my book haul which is SAD. But we live on.

And YES my blog’s email subscription is still broken.

That puddle of weeping tears? It me. I’ve transferred sending emails manually via mailchimp — so if you haven’t been receiving them this last week, it’s a good idea to resubscribe! Just scroll to the far far end of this post and you’ll see this:

Anyway, I can’t even. I don’t know how to bloggggg.

But you should be fine if you’re subscribed via bloglovin or asking magical pigeons to bring you bound scrolls of my thrice weekly blog updates. Technology fails us. Pigeons do not.

Now is my (shameless) moment to mention that you can nominate A Thousand Perfect Notes for the Goodreads awards if you want!

You have to add it manually because obviously it isn’t famous and I am very unknown lmao. BUT I HAVE SLYTHERIN DREAMS! I CAN WISH! And yes shhh I nominated it myself. Even though bestsellers are what win these, but oh well!

I actually confess I’m a bit nervous because it’s That Time Of Year™ when “best books of the year” blog posts start coming up and Book Shimmy Awards are announced and gahhhhh. I know ATPN has done marvellously for being a little debut and your support has been extraordinary ( !! omg I love you all !!). But I’m still aware it’s small and didn’t explode the world, but rather slipped in to tell a quiet tale. And I do love it for that. But I can’t help but be a little anxious?! So definitely trying not to think about it! The day I learn to be a chill author and let whatever happens just happen will be a good day.

OTHER THINGS

✧ I’m sooo excited to say that A Thousand Perfect Notes is being translated into both Czech and Slovak!! Not sure of the release date yet, but probably next year! (It’s also going to be in Romanian and Polish!!!!!!)
✧ Never going to get over how surreal translation deals are?! AHHHHHH.
✧ I still don’t have news of a cover for The Boy Who Steals Houses, sorrrrry.
✧ But ARCs are mostly likely coming in December. Keep your eyes peeled.
✧ People continue to post stunning photos of it on #bookstagram and my life is made.
✧ Never underestimate what a simple sentence review, a quick word-of-mouth recommendation to a friend, a photo, or a tiny message of flails can impact an author. MY COLD HEART THRIVES AND I AM SO ENCOURAGED BY YOU ALL.

On bookstagram under #AThousandPerfectNotes!

I hit 180 books this month so only 20 more until I finish my reading goal!!

I also reread 6 books this month…which is probably why my TBR pile has drawn a knife at me and shrieked. But you know how comforting rereads are?! Also I want to enjoy my favourites multiple times so HERE I AM. The wild life.

Now reminder…I am away and can barely remember for the life of me what is new to my shelves.

Do I have a memory??? A brain???NEVER HEARD OF THEM. NOT SURE THEY’RE REAL TBH.

But good news is, while I’m visiting my sister — I get to use her library!! I am so hungry for libraries since the town I live in has, um, nothing. (I donated a stack to them to try and help their pitiful shelves. But that’s still not helpful for me.) So I’m reading so much right now and it makes my soul happy.

 

BOOKS BOUGHT…

 

REVIEW COPIES…

  

 

LIBRARY BOOKS…!!!

        

I’M SO FREAKING EXCITED FOR THIS LOT!!!!

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FLIP TO SEE MINI REVIEWS!

 

so what’s been happening in my life?

  • HEY SO IT’S NANOWRIMO!!!! Which always excites me a lot. Although unfortunately this year (since I’m staying at my sister’s) I won’t start till the 20th. And yes I won NaNo in 2 days last year (shh) but I’ve been writing a lot slower this year. But I have to join in still, even if I’m cutting it fine, because it’s my 5th year and I CAN’T MISS THIS.
  • Dammit, NaNo, keeping a good streak is too fun.
  • Hopefully I’ll be doing a Stranger Things x Jumunji story called The Misery Rules. Here’s my Pinterest board. And buddy me on NaNoWrimo.com if you want!
  • But I wish everyone who is doing it now the best of best luck. (And desperately want to hear about your projects!)
  • I also wrote a pre-NaNo draft in October. Because I’m awful. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  It was a contemporary genderbent Secret Garden retelling. I got to 75,000 words in 12 days and totally smooshed the ending because I know the whole thing needs a complete overhaul. LE SIGH.
  • First drafts are like eating rocks, I swear.
  • I’ve started plotting a monstery middle-grade novel though…I’m tentatively excited for this. (I’ve never done MG properly before!?) It’s about the monsters under your bed! Because OF COURSE IT’S DARK. I can’t help myself.
  • Also Finn and I hosted a bookstagram Stiefvater challenge in October and #FinnFury was SO FUN and we consider it a marvellous success! Thanks to everyone who joined in!! We got over 1,800 posts! AHH.

  • Staying at my sister’s is always BEST. I have 4 nieces and nephews here and they climb all over me and the smallest bites and eats chocolate cake off the floor. But they’re cute at least.
  • This conversation happened:
  • I MEAN, SHE HAS A POINT.
  • And I also thoroughly maintain my 9month nephew looks like Sunny Baudelaire. Proof? I’ll give you proof.
  • He bites me SO MUCH so it must be true.
  • Anyway we have done much baking (there have been two birthdays so far so LOTS OF CAKE) and been op-shopping and library-going and made cake pops that are RUSTIC…not mauled. Although double-dipping happened and the floor was so covered in sprinkles it was like crunching through beach sand. Nice.
  • Also my aesthetic cup of coffee in picture below is actually…hot chocolate. Because I am a child and coffee is a LIE. It smells good and tastes less interesting. (Also makes me sleepy!? So what’s the point!) But look at me taking real instagrammer photos aw.

  • I’m definitely still blogging and trying to keep up with visiting blogs + answering all your comments!! And hopefully the email issue’s temporary fix will help to.
  • THE BLOG SHALL NOT DESTROY ME. I SHALL PREVAIL.
  • Now excuse me…I have soft books to read and monster stories to plan.

 

are you doing NaNo?! can you give me a sneak peek on what your project is?? are you ahead/behind on your reading goals? WHO IS NOT READY FOR IT TO BE NOVEMBER?! (meee) and definitely tell me if you’ve gotten any exciting books recently!

#AmCurrently August ~ Return From Hiatus! Ask Me Things For A Spoiler Q&A! I Ate A Library!

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Hiiii remember me?! Because I barely blogged in August!

I actually TOOK that hiatus. I took it by the throat, ok, and I rested gloriously and…um neglected my blog for 3 weeks. But I think this is the first long(ish) hiatus I’ve taken in about 3 years so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I shan’t apologise. I do confess I’ve found blogging exhausting lately, but I’ve found LIFE exhausting. I’m not quitting! I am just returning to sit next to you, share my popcorn, and whinge to be honest.

Missed me?

I KNOW SO.

Before we go on, I’m planning on doing a “Spoiler Q&A” about A Thousand Perfect Notes!

Which will be your chance (if you’ve read it!) to ask all the questions that are too spoilery to answer in the open. MWHA HAHA. So here’s a link to a Google Form here. It’s anonymous (but you can leave your name if you want). I am so excited to do this ahhhh!!

 

GUESS WHO FINALLY ACHIEVED THEIR LIFE GOAL!??

Now don’t laugh but my life goal was always, specifically: “walk into a bookstore and see my book on a shelf.” And I have finally done it! While I was visiting my sister for 2 weeks, we haunted the bookshop. This is extra cool because (a) this was in Lismore, aka the place ATPN is actually set in, and (b) it was my hometown up until last year so !!! I was just so excited. I can’t even say how it feels to go into a store and hey bAM THERE’S YOUR NAME.

YOUR BOOK.

ON A SHELF.

If you’re wondering why it took nearly 3 months post-publication for me to do this, then…ahhh. Ok. Two reasons: (1) I currently live in a very small town which is basically a cow paddock and NO real bookstore. And (2) I have really severe social anxiety and sometimes going out is too much. I’m relieved I could even do this finally. No I didn’t ask to sign any. I slipped in and out, but I saw it and that is everything for me. I am all the emotions right now ajfkdslad. (Also only 3 left on the shelf and OBVIOUS GAPS !! So people are buying it hOLY WOW this still shocks me.)

Also I’m slightly biased but…HOW FREAKING EYE-CATCHING IS MY COVER THO.

Also I know I look twelve but…I promise I am not twelve.

 

  • Another author I super admire has actually read my book. *DIES*
  • Also 10/10 I love her books and honestly they’re quite similar to mine in themes and tone, so I totally recommend them!!
  • ATPN is at 1,000 ratings on Goodreads which is just !!!
  • It still just always feels so surreal thinking about it being a real book?! IDK IT HASN’T SUNK IN YET.
  • It was featured in Duality Box! They made me fanart. I’m sobbbbbing. FANART.
  • I also have more copies of my book than I know what to do with lmao. But I’m going to do some giveaways on Twitter and Instagram soon, so make sure you’re stalking me there.
  • Also can I beg for some reviews on Amazon?! ATPN has nearly been out 3 months and but I’ve got barely 40 on Amazon. It would REALLY help me for the search engines and recommendation listings to get some more ratings there!! Good reviews! Bad! Middling mehs! GO FOR IT. Can just be just a few sentences! My book is actually not super big and not available everywhere (unfortunately) so your support means everything…truly it does. Thank yooooou.

    Amazon US \\ Amazon UK

I read 18 books…even though I was away! POWER.

I read really intensely the first 10 days of the month and pretty much finished a book a day! It felt really good. I haven’t done that for ages. Like I went from “I should procrastinate for no reason!” to “PUT A BOOK IN FRONT OF MY FACE AND I WILL DEVOUR THEM AND THE SUN AND YOUR GOATS AND RISE GLORIOUS UPON THE DAWN.”

So in other news: I have actually been in a lowkey book slump most of this year and didn’t notice.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Anyway! I hopefully I keep up the motivation and actually don’t !!! die !! under 14989 books !!

#laughshysterically

BOOKS BOUGHT vs REVIEW COPIES

Ok so LIBRARY SALE!! I got most of these hardcovers for 50 cents?!? Holy wow. And Sometime After Midnight was a preorder + Heretics Anonymous was all Book Depository’s fault because I was VULNERABLE after some crappy news and they sent me 10% off so like???? I tREAT MYSELF.

Thanks to Entangled Teen for Keeper Of The Bees (SO GORGEOUS) and this edition of Grace & Fury came from an @Owlcrate box! (Sooo recommend their boxes! I actually have a rep code for “FURY” = 10% off too.) I won Save The Date from @bookbookowl! And The Universe Is Expanding And So Am I + Open Summer Road are thanks to Bloomsbury.

AND OK NOBODY PANIC BUT SOMEHOW THE ARC GODS HAVE BLESSED ME AND I HAVE BRIDGE OF CLAY?!?!? Ahhh!!!!!!!!

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I actually spent most of August away visiting my sister and nieces and nephews!

You probably remember me mildly panicking about this last month (LIES. I WAS SCREAMING) because, ya know…plane flight alone. And I also struggle being out of routine. But I used to live 5 mins away from these little banshees and I miss them so much. So it was good! Everything went well! I DIDN’T CRASH IN THE PLANE.

I also attacked and devoured her library.

Holy heck, every time I walk into a library I remember how much I am starved for it while I’m at home (yES: no bookstore, no library…I can’t even).

I didn’t get through quite ALL the books I borrowed (hey it was only nine…I was being chill) because it turns out after being climbed over all day by small children, I just wanted to sLEEEEEEP at night. (Plus one night we watched the Netflix To All The Boys movie!! So cuTE! I’m doing a post on it soon!) But still. Library. I love.

And of course there are the little banshees children too. They’re kind of adorable.

My sister has collected a 4th from the faeries realms and it currently can’t crawl but can power roll and worm around so??? Nothing is safe??? Not the plants?? Not my sOCKS. And he pants while he army-crawls so it’s pretty much like having a puppy.

  • I also discovered my 5-yo niece can MANIPULATE HER PLAYING CARDS AND USE STRATEGY. She can genuinely hold back good cards + just whoop me in two moves. I thought 5-year-olds were supposed to be innocent. wHO TAUGHT HER THIS.
  • My 7yo nephew and I would sit on my bed and read. He, Tintin (I used to love these comics as a kid omg #throwback) and me, something with a lot more screaming in it.
  • My 3yo niece threw her socks in the bin at one point and then just stood there crying about it.
  • I still???? am so confused??? She was devastated they were in the bin BUT SHE DID IT.
  • I feel like this is also a metaphor for life.
  • I mistakenly said “Let’s play Simon Says!” which they LOVED because they could just order me around for…ages.
  • Backfired. Majorly. Abort.
  • I ran up and down the mountain in the backyard like…every day. I am a little dead. My legs have left me for a better life.
  • IT WAS SO COLD. Since I live in tropical QLD, it was this massive and glorious shock going back to 3C degree mornings (about 37F). My cold dead heart thrived. My eyes glowed. My hair grew thick and luscious. Poisoned apples fell from the trees. I brought the winter storms.
  • Usually I have super bad insomnia, but I sleep really well in the cold so!! I HAD ENERGY!! 4 solid hours!! Is this what normal people feel like!!!
  • The baby just STARES at me. All the time. And smiles.
  • And wants my iPod. And my crackers. And fistfuls of my hair.
  • I actually wasn’t online as much and I enjoyed that. Ha. I have grown old.
  • On the way home, while logging my baggage, the flight-person was like, “Oh…are you flying alone? How old are you?”
  • I’M TWENTY-FOUR.
  • THANKS.

The oldest two and I are all autistic so it’s like…EYE CONTACT. WHAT EYE CONTACT. We get along great.

I swear the littlest two’s smiles though.

I MELT.

I miss them so much.

I don’t have a lot of plans for September except vague shrieking.

I will blog again! I will hopefully draft a new book or edit something! I hate editing! Slay me now! I also have a lot of Stressful Things™ happening in my life right now, which is a struggle. But books make a good distraction. Also I have a vague and deliriously excellent hunch that we might be seeing a cover reveal for The Boy Who Steals Houses soon. Eeeeeeeep!

 

hEY so tell me how August went for you!? did you read anything spectacular? do you ever travel alone?? and tell me what some upcoming books you’re excited for are!!

#AmCurrently ~ Officially A Published Author (omg) + TBR Is Taller Than Me (oh no)

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“So how does it feel to be an officially published author now?!” you might be asking.

A Thousand Perfect Notes has been out for 3 weeks now…which is…absolutely mind-blowing?! It’s already been 3 weeks?!? Speaking of which: how is it also JULY.

So anyway. How am I feeling?

Utter mood right now. I’m fiiiiine.

Now let me tell you all about my month! Because wow. It was an intense one. And my #AmCurrently post is my recap of what I’ve been reading, books I’ve collected, life things, and exactly how many times I’ve screamed lately. * So much fun!

Also I hope you appreciate my first photo in this post, where I’m measuring myself in books. It doesn’t take many. I am smol.

* This is a complete lie. One cannot count these.

So my debut novel came out with Hachette UK which is KIND OF A BIG THING JUST SAYING. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I’m not even exaggerating: 7 YEARS IN AZKABAN AND NOW I HAVE A BOOK. It’s in bookstores. Sometimes it’s featured in bookstores. People actually buy it?!? People bUY IT BECAUE THEY WANT TO???? What is this world.

I’m not…I’m not crying. This is my waterfall cosplay.

I’m so freaking happyyyyyyyyy.

Just in case you haven’t read it yet…

You can find it on Amazon (there’s only 12 left in stock so um, if you’re in America…GET ONTO THAT.) And also Booktopia, Book Depository (free world wide shipping!), Wordery, and add it on Goodreads!

(Also PS. I could really use reviews on Amazon! I need 50 for it to be counted properly / recommended, and I only have 10!)

  • OMG WHERE DO I EVEN START????
  • Probably by being so frikkin’ humbled and proud all at the same time. Because I was honestly scared my little book would just be a slight hiccup in time. I mean, I’m an unknown author. It’s a debut…it’s kind of dark (which isn’t everyone’s thing), I’m not able to be physically present or go sign in bookstores or meet people, ergo what if IT ALL JUST IS A QUIET MELLOW RELEASE etc. etc. (Hi, yes, I have anxiety.) But it’s been amazing. I worked really really hard and it worked and I JUST AM !!!!
  • Cosplaying the waterfall again, look at me go.
  • So it got to rank 119 on Book Depository (we’re talking out of thousands of YA books)! It also got to “bestsellers in romance” which cracks me up because it’s so unromantic. August says “I like you” and Beck literally sprints 40 miles in the opposite direction. But looooook! I’M NEXT TO BECKY ALBERTALLI. (Probably alphabetically for this list but hush!!)
  • It also hit #1 on Amazon…for the YA music section lmao…which has like 10 books in it all up BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? I’M TAKING IT.
  • People actually find it in bookstores!!! (THIS IS MY DREAM.) And so many times it’s actually been shelved in prime positions, with cover facing out to catch attention. I am so lucky, wow.
  • I opened my annual Booktopia newsletter and…IT WAS FEATURED. This was so unexpected?! And I died a little when they’re like “you might know Paper Fury!”… Yeah. I do. She’s climbing the walls currently but ok.
  • It was featured in the Illumicrate May box! With bookmarks. And signed book plates. It was so fun signing those. And it also had red-stained pages so like…my eyeballs are in love.
  • I still haven’t gotten my author copies yet, so I literally just have the Illumicrate one. Haha….sob.
  • But when I do get them, I can do some more giveaways!
  • I’ve done so many interviews, a twitter chat, instagram takeovers for Hachette NZ and AUS, and it’s all intense and also completely surreal. (Little me?! So many opportunities?! ajfkdasldf)
  • 0_0 <—- mood
  • mY TWITTER CHAT TRENDED.
  • The #AThousandPerfectNotes hashtag is wild and I love it and it’s no longer just me! Nice!
  • MORE PEOPLE THAN JUST MY MUM LIKE IT.
  • My sisters actually all pulled through and proved themselves useful and bought copies. This is the only reason I tolerate having 4 sisters.
  • My editors sent me flowers! Which is the actual sweetest thing!!
  • People have been so kind, and so supportive, and I hope you absolutely 10000% know that I wouldn’t be able have my heart stuffed so full with all this incredible news if it wasn’t for your help.
  • I LOVE YOU, OKAY.

LOOK I’M IN BOOKSTORES!

(Literally this was the pinnacle of my dreams. My book —> in a bookstore! I have yet to actually go see it myself due to living in a town without a bookstore. And also being too overwhelmed to go to the city right now. BUT SOON I WILL LIVE THAT DREAM.)

 

 

AND READERS ARE STILL HAVING FUN.

UM LAINI TAYLOR SAID CONGRATS, SO CLEARLY I HAVE PEAKED AND CAN RETIRE NOW.

 

I’m so so exhausted haha oh wow. Ok. I’m done. And I PROMISE I WILL NOT ALWAYS GO ON AND ON ABOUT ATPN. It’s just a special time for me right now!! ah!!

Oddly…publishing a book equals less time to read?!

I actually am kind of devastated that this year will be like my least-amount-of-books-read in the last 3 years?!? I know it’s still a lot of books. And it’s ridiculous to be disappointed! But yet here I am. Overachiever me is suffering. I’m still on track for my Goodreads goal but I also feel a little slumpy.

I’m reading less —> but not collecting less books. #OHNO

I also wanted to read a ton of lgbtqia+ books for Pride month and I barely read any. Ughhhhh. So disappointed @ me. I ended up only reading 6.

Review copies vs books I bought!

Actually I say that, but Smoke and Iron is on the wrong side lol lol. I am dysfunctional. Anyway, I’m on the blog tour from that (thanks Berkley Publishing!) so look out for it next week!! SO EXCITED. THIS SERIES IS MY LIFE.

Also thank you Bloomsbury, Flatiron US, Allen & Unwin, Nadine Brandes (who sent me Fawkes herself!!) and Bloomsbury! ALSO PENGUIN FOR THE REVIEW-COPY OF BRIGHT WE BURN AHHHHHHHHH. And Jo for sending me through her ARC of The Unpredictability Of Being Human (which is about an autistic girl and it’s soooo good!).

 

FROM EDELWEISS OR NETGALLEY