Ah, the author's voice. We've talked about it before where we covered *how* to define what your author's voice really is. But what about if you write in different genres, or with completely different type of characters? 

Different genres have different tones, styles, and voice. Action adventure is fast paced and action orientated. Fantasy can be anything from dreamy to darker, with an emphasis on symbols, descriptions, and allegories. Comedy is obviously humorous and meant to make you laugh. 

Different characters, especially if written in first person, can really change the book's feel too. The voice of a sarcastic, pragmatic nurse is going to be vastly different from a shy, artsy juniour high student. 

So when we have such variables, what happens when you write across a variety of them? How do we make sure our book still stands out as your own? Let's take a look. 

1. Understand that just because you are writing a different genre (etc) you don't have to mimic other books in the same genre. I'm all for gaining inspiration from other books, but here's the thing I like to stress-- you shouldn't feel like you need to copy. Take note of what you like in a certain writing style, sure. That's a great way to adopt new techniques that you might end up really liking. But just always keep in mind that you don't have to be like every other book out there. ;) Understand that there are various stylistic choices and cliches particular to genres that readers are familiar with and enjoy, but also know that new and original takes on a genre are also awesome. 

2. Check out your word choice and sentence structure. It doesn't really matter what time period, genre, or character you're writing, there will be words and patterns you constantly rely on as a writer. Some of this might change a little depending on the book, but overall, you're going to realize you have a certain way of writing. The trick with this is to define what that is and utilize it. Of course, you can't use your favorite modern lingo in a medieval epic, and you wouldn't want to transplant pirate phrases into a cozy mystery set in Nebraska. But even putting out-of-place words, phrases and sentence structure aside, there's a lot that you will tend to use over and over again as a writer that can definitely adapt to various books.

3. Pay attention to how you describe things. Your outlook and explanations of things are going to be unique to you, and you can really play that up. Maybe you're great at using expansive and flowing language to create an image in people's minds, or maybe your descriptors are sparse and witty. When you discover what your style of description is, you can translate that really well across genres. 

4. Make clear what a couple of your major writing styles are. Everyone has certain things that consistently show up when they write freely (brain-dump style). Maybe you notice that you tend to have a poetic flair with a touch of pessimism. Maybe you're slap-stick funny with a tendency for melodramatics. You could have a rather dry style with sharp humor, or maybe you're mellow and calm. The point is, be sure you understand what your major writing styles are. (You might even have a couple you can bounce back and forth from depending on what you're writing). If you know those styles, though, you will be able to consistently utilize it whenever you write anything. 

5. See if you write similar characters.  Now I'm not talking carbon copies here, but like it or not, your characters are going to have some things in common. Maybe a majority of your characters are all Christians, from South Africa, easily distracted, the middle sibling, lonely, trying to figure out who they are, or have an affinity for the arts. Whatever it is that is your trademark, make sure you know what it is. This can not only help you consistently create original characters without "repeating" but it can also show you what sort of characters you excel at writing about. You never know... a similar character could be a bridge into a new genre. 

6. Don't forget your settings, plot line, and themes. Just like with the characters in the previous points, there are a few other things that can be "trademarked" so to speak by you in your books. Maybe a lot of your books take place in the inner city, or the wilderness of Scotland, or small towns in New England. Your plot lines could have the same sort of tension, pace, or twists-and-turns. For instance maybe you write multiple thread Regency fiction with lots of surprises and parallel plot lines. Well, that sort of plot line could easily be adapted to a modern day police book, a quirky fantasy, or even an epic tech-filled mystery. Themes work like this too. Do you have recurring themes in your books? (Good-vs-evil, fragility, freedom-vs-bondage, coming-of-age, and so on). Those are great pieces of the puzzle that are excellent for crossing genres and different characters. 


Of course, the most important tip of the day... have confidence, don't get too caught up with all the style rules, and write what feels natural to you. Your author's voice will play out through everything if you do those things. ;)

So tell me! Do you write in an array of genres? Or maybe you do completely different characters. Let me know in the comments what works for you and how you like to keep your author's voice consistent. 

Y'all have a lovely day,
<3
Victoria 

P.S. Hey y'all! If you haven't yet, be sure to check out my book cover design services! I've added new book covers to the examples that you don't want to miss. :) 

Hey ya'll!


Ok I got some big news that I need to tell you. I'm going to be moving in August...and will be spending a year at a Bible institute. So because of that, I'm going to be getting really busy. Before you think that the blog is going to be abandoned, don't worry, it's not. :D I'm scheduling about one-two posts per month for while I'm gone, with possible extra posts to be written as needed. And the contests and book club will not be dissolved either-- just extended a bit between new ones. :) Most the time it will only be a 2-3 month thing but there are a couple instances of four month long periods. I'm busy working on lots of blog stuff for you all before I leave, and am excited to hear from you all in comments and so on even while I'm at school. :)

So let's jump into the monthly contest! First of all, I need to mention something about last month's... I accidentally missed a story that was entered into the contest, and that definitely is a no-go. So I thought I'd post it here for a special feature. :) This is for the theme of "Object that appears unimportant but..." 

Joe Harvey-- By Liberty Bluebell
     “Two Super Burritos, one with extra sour cream and hot sauce. Your total will be $2.85, sir.” The gal at the window had a twinkle in her voice.
     “Something’s wrong with that total.” I tried to give her my best “suspicious cop” look, butshe only laughed.
     “It’s your total. Now pay up, or you won’t get your food.”
     I handed over the money, still eyeing her suspiciously.
     “The boss paid for Harvey’s food today,” she finally said as she handed me the warm paper
bag.
     “Maybe I’m hungry enough for two,” I countered.
     “With extra sour cream? Not on your diet,” she retorted with a wink.
     I chuckled. I didn’t even know her name, but she knew my habits.
     “Be safe out there, Officer,” she added, her tone suddenly serious.
     “Thanks. And thank the boss!” I eased my cruiser away from the little restaurant and headed toward the neighborhood where I could usually find old Joe Harvey. Joe Harvey who, on the winter day I bought a McDonald’s meal for him and introduced myself as the community officer, had looked at the bag and said, “You got bad taste, Officer, or else you’re a cheapskate.” But he ate the food, and we’d been friends since. Our friendship had grown stronger since he’d told me about the little burrito place that was “Cheaper than Mickey D’s, five times as good, and better for you”. It still amused me that I received health advice from a homeless man who didn’t
usually know where his next meal came from. As I drove past the small statue of one of the town’s founding fathers at the park on the
corner, I noted that he had lost his Halloween costume. In a couple weeks, he’d have a Pilgrim hat on his head. As I drove, I kept my eyes looking for an older model gray pickup truck. It was the other reason I was in Joe Harvey’s territory today.  had just reached the outer edges of the housing development that bordered on brushland when I saw Joe walking down the sidewalk ahead of me. His limp was a bit worse than usual. Must be a storm coming in. To the left of the road was a brushy canyon, to our right were the backs of houses. I pulled my cruiser in front of him and got out, waiting for him to walk up to me.
     “Mornin’. How’s the Lone Ranger today?” He chuckled at his joke as he took the burrito I handed him.
     “Pretty good. How about yourself?” I glanced over his scruffy gray beard, faded blue ballcap advertising some pest control company, his worn clothes and patched jacket, and his fraying shoes. For him, he was in good condition. I might have to see about getting him a better jacket though since our fall weather was due to turn cold soon.
     “I’m about to eat. Do I need to say anything else?” The twinkle in his eye was really the only thing I ever needed to see when I did a surreptitious welfare check on him.
     “How about ‘Thank you’?” I bumped him with my elbow as we both leaned against the cruiser and looked out over the canyon, eating our lunch.
     “Aw, you’re not my mama,” he protested gruffly.
     “Then you should at least thank me for that,” I retorted.
     He grunted, but the twinkle was still in his eye. “Catch any bad guys today?”
     “Hoping to,” I responded, trying to keep my voice casual.
     He chuckled again. “Did you put it on your calendar or something?”
     It was my turn to grunt. I then added carefully, “Got a call about a fellow in a gray older model Toyota or Ford pickup truck who’s been drinking at the kid’s playground and leaving his broken beer bottles around. Seems we need to have a talk with him.” I looked at him out of the corner of my eye. A veil had dropped over the twinkle in his eyes, and he ever-so-slightly moved away from
me.
     “You know how it is here.” His voice was guarded.
     “Yup, I know. I’m not asking you for anything. Just answering your question.” I’d learned to accept the odd code of honor amongst the homeless and down-and-outers in the area, though I sometimes hoped they’d forget it.
     Joe grunted again. “I feel an after lunch siesta is in order. I’d better get along before I fall asleep on my feet.” He stood up and continued down the sidewalk without even a glance at me.
     I sighed and looked toward the sky. “I think we need extra help on this one, Lord.”
~~~~~~~~
     Three hours later, I was ready to leave the housing division. I’d talked to the folks who reported it, tried to get more details, knocked on doors, and watched passing cars; but I was no closer to a solution than when I’d started. As I drove past the statue of the founding father, I noticed someone had put a ballcap on his head. I was in no mood to chuckle over it this time. But as I tried to map out the next area I should go in my search, I couldn’t get that ballcap out of my head. It was blue—faded blue. I glanced in my rearview mirror, made sure no-one was coming, and did a U-turn right in the middle of the street. Once I had the hat in my hand, I was sure. It even smelled like Joe. A few minutes later, I parked by the trail that led to Joe’s hideout in the woods. I’d just started walking when Joe stepped up to the path, blinking sleepily and stretching.
     “Howdy, Ranger. Whatcha got?”
     I raised my eyebrows as I handed him his hat. He reached up a hand and touched his head, but the bewilderment on his face couldn’t hide the twinkle in his eyes. “Ornery kids must have took it. But I’m glad to see you. I saw something that I thought you’d want to know about. You know how it is here, but when strangers come in… Anyway, a truck is parked up in the woods on the other side of this draw. Looks like they’re camping with campfire and everything. Thought they might accidentally start a fire, burn us all out.”
“Thanks. I’ll look into it.” My pulse sped up with excitement—excitement that I might get a chance to talk to the fellow and excitement that Joe told me.
     I had almost reached my car when Joe added, “Hey, you probably shouldn’t leave the same way every time.”
I nodded my head, though I didn’t understand what he was meaning until I drove past the statue again. Oh, well. Next time.
~~~~~~
     “Thanks, ma’am. You’ve been most helpful.” I pocketed the mugshots.
     “No—thank you, Officer. I’m glad we could identify him for you.”
     As I drove away from the house of the last of the witnesses, I grinned my thanks toward heaven and flipped my turn signal on. I had almost turned down that road when I remembered Joe’s advice. I flipped my signal in the opposite direction and headed the other way out. Joe was sitting on a bench near there, gazing at a water fountain. I parked my car and walked up to him.
     “Three times in one day? I think the Lone Ranger’s getting lonely!”
     I shrugged as I sat next to him and also stared at the water fountain.
     “Catch any bad guys today?” His question was as casual as ever.
     “Got someone on expired registration tags.”
     “That’s it?” His voice was gruff.
     “Well, we went to talk to him about camping on public property, but he claimed he wasn’t and it was hard to tell. But his tags were expired, a-a-nd,” I paused and glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, “—besides not behaving too well here, he’s got a couple of felony warrants on him in other counties.”
     “Sounds like you got a lucky break there.” He could barely hide the glee in his voice.
     I had just opened my mouth when he held up his hand, “I know, I know. God’s got a lot more to do with it than luck does. You might have something there. See you around.”
     I stood and started back toward my car, then turned around. “Thanks.”
     “For what?” He asked, narrowing his right eye at me suspiciously.
     “For introducing me to the best burrito joint in town.” I chuckled at the sudden grin on his face.
     “Anytime. Though I might have to vary your diet someday and tell you about the Chinese restaurant down the street.” He touched a hand to his ballcap and began to limp away.
     As I got into my cruiser, I chuckled again. Thanks, Lord.

“My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue;
but in deed and in truth.”
I John 3:18



-------
Awesome job, Liberty! :) Thanks for sending your story in. 

Ok, on to the writing challenge criteria for this round. 

1. The challenge's theme for this round is "Big dreams". 
2. Can be Poem (for all y'all poets, lol) or Flash Fiction, but no more than 1,500 words. 
3. Send in by August 20th, please! Just use my email here: jpbookbug@gmail.com to get me your entry!  
4. Include a title and your name/pen-name. 
5. If you want to join the challenge without having your story showcased, mark as Challenge Only in the title of your email. 
6. Please keep your story clean and family-friendly. No swearing or euphemisms, please. 
7. Winner (picked by me) will have their story shared in the Wrap-Up version of this post at the end of June. The other contest stories will be shared in a PDF format for those who want to view them. :)
8. The prize for the 1st place winner is a unique and original ebook design for your story. (If you're curious, check these out... I've added new designs!) 

Oh, and hey, since this is a contest, let's try to get more people involved, shall we? It can be as simple as: 

Hi! I'm doing this really fun monthly writing contest with Victoria Minks on her website www.victoriaminks.com. Anyone can join and I think it'd be great if you did it too! 

So yep, pass the word along to your writing friends! The more the merrier, and just think...the more people involved the more stories you'll get to read at the end. ;) It's been great fun getting to meet people who join because a friend invited them! 


Next up, it's Book Club Time! *chants* Book club, book club, book club! :D

For July-August 2017, the Book Club is pleased to announce that this month you will read: A book set in an era you don't normally read. I always love hearing everyone's different books for the challenge, so I'm looking forward to seeing what you all pick! 

The main requirement for this, Bookbugs, is that you write a comment during the Wrap-Up version of this post (at the end of August) if you completed the reading challenge and let me know what the book was! Give a little review, or your thoughts on it, and how you would rate it. ;) And, if you're on Goodreads, there is a private group for us Bookbugs! You should definitely join it so we can have awesome bookish discussions and share book reviews and more. ;) So...let's get reading! 


Alrighty, let's talk about my monthly goals, now.   

Writing: Blog work. Needlemaker work. Finish my Camp NaNo goal (of 20k). 

Reading: Hmmm... I have no idea, honestly. My main goal this time isn't a number but rather: I want to finish the books I've started, I want to complete one of the series I'm in the middle of, and I want to read through some books I borrowed from a friend as I won't be able to once I leave.

Other: It's basically a lot of prep for me leaving with this as well, lol.

1.  Finish redoing the old post graphics and editing a few old posts. 
2. Take lots of Bookstagram photos so I have a good supply to post from while in school.
3. Schedule a few YouTube videos for my booktube channel.

Book/Writerly Chat... You know what time it is. :D Let's talk books and WIPs. ;) 

• JONAS AND OLIVIA IS 1 YEAR OLD!!!  Is that crazy or what? Actually, there's some big news tied to this. For July 15th-17th I'm giving away free e-copies to bloggers and review readers who would like to read and review Jonas and Olivia. Simply drop me an email at jpbookbug@gmail.com to let me know if you are interested... and if you know someone who you think would enjoy J&O then let them know of this offer too before it's over! :D I'm starting a new section on the book pages here on the blog where I list reviews from other people, so if you've done one before (or you do one in the future) be sure to let me know and I'll put your post in the list! It's a great way to not only share reviews for potential readers but for your blog to get more publicity too. ;)
• THERE IS A SALE GOING ON, Y'ALL. So maybe you're not a blogger, but you still want to read J&O ... well don't worry, there's a great sale going on right now! From July 16th to July 17th you can get an ebook copy for a reduced price... but act fast, because it's a quick sale! The first 12 hours are 50% off ($1.99) and the last 12 it's 25% off ($2.99). 
• I MADE A BOOK TRAILER. So for the 1 year anniversary of J&O I decided to make a book trailer! :O It was a rather last-minute project but I'm really excited. It's my first book trailer, y'all. lol. Go check it out, and let me know if you'd like to see more book trailers for future novels! :)
• So I had this idea. If I'm able to get 50+ ebook sales within the next week, I'd write a free Culpepper story and publish it here on the J&O page. If I get 100+ ebook sales, I'll read the story for a YouTube video. Maybe enlist some help and do a slightly dramatized version. :P BUT the only way this will happen is if you encourage your friends and family to get the ebook! It's a lot of sales, but it's also a really great price so... let's share this around and try to hit those numbers! :) Bookbugs unite! :D 

So there you have it! SO much excitement, I don't even know how to handle it all lol!! 

<3
Victoria

Eep, so this month had some amazing stories and I can't wait to get into things, so... let's just start, shall we? :D Well if you remember, the theme was "an object that appears unimportant but..." and I was amazed by the stories written for it! You've got nostalgia in The Ice Cream Maker action in American Ingenuity,  and more, from people of all ages. ;) (Oh, and side note... my story is actually medieval setting, which I haven't done in forever now! Let me know what you think. :D ) And the winning story? A Three-Part story by Katja! *confetti* It's a little longer, so I'm only going to put the first part in the post... but go read the next two parts, AND the other awesome stories in this PDF! <<<


The Innocent Suspected (Part One of Three) 
By Katja L. 

“The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him. The Lord will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.” (Psalm 37:32-33)

  Reynard sprang off his bed with a resounding thump and stood erect, full of enthusiasm and joie-de-vivre. He was struggling with his shirt when a sleepy voice erupted through the closed door leading into the adjoining room.
  “Confound it, Fairfeather! Can’t a body have some honest sleep when on leave?”
  “I beg your pardon, Callaghan,” Reynard replied apologetically. “It’s this confounded shirt—you know how abominable those nuisances are.”
  “Well, no, I can’t say that I do,” replied Callaghan, shifting in his bed, his eyes still closed. “I never did understand your continual feud with them.—Well, what now?”
  This disagreeable inquiry was provoked by a smothered exclamation on the part of his comrade.
  “Well, THIS is pleasant!” was Reynard’s sarcastic reply.
  “I daresay,” answered Callaghan, ironically, “but I really think you could be quieter about it.—NOW what is it?”
  In reply he heard Reynard tramping about his room, then: “I say, Callaghan! have you seen my doublet?”
  “No,” grunted Callaghan, resolutely squeezing his eyes shut.
  “But where can it be?”
  “Anywhere,” was Callaghan’s reply, heavily loaded with sarcasm. “Your room really ressembles one of those foreign messes, Fairfeather—odds and ends of everything well scrambled up. How you manage to exist so—”
  “But I cannot appear before the Countess with no doublet, Callaghan!” cried Reynard, who, although calm and cool over dangers, was given to panic over such trifles.
  “What happened to your second one?”
  “Don’t you remember? I lost it on the way here.”
  “Of course,” said Callaghan in a high, ironical voice. “What else could you do?”
  “May I borrow yours?” inquired Reynard meekly.
  “Of course! What a splendid idea! Then you can explain to my lady how it happens that I cannot appear at my lady’s table,” retorted Callaghan, rolling his eyes at the ceiling.
  At the same moment, however, Reynard gave a exclamation of satisfaction and pounced upon a wrinkled doublet.
  And so it went on with every article of clothing he must don. Callaghan, used to these early interruptions, replied dozily from his bedroom and lost no opportunity to upbraid Reynard on the disgraceful state of his room. There was a final and prolonged scene upon the knowledge that Reynard’s left boot had disappeared, but at last he was attired and exited noisily from the room, whistling an English tune with due heartiness.
  Safely in the garden outside, he paced about and talked to the gardener, perfecting his excellent French, which he could never be persuaded was already perfect. The gardener had considered Reynard his protégé from the first moment Reynard had entered the garden, remarking: “My fine fellow, I know absolutely naught about gardens; will you please direct me as to where I must walk” and had proceeded to trample down a bed of lilies. The gardener had made the proper lamentations, and Reynard the proper apologizes, explaining how he had merely wanted to cross over, but had slipped somehow. Won by his courtesy and interest, however, the gardener had overlooked his clumsiness, and volunteered to teach him how to conduct himself in a garden.
  They were engaged in this occupation when Callaghan appeared and fetched Reynard in for déjeuner.
  The Countess, a pretty, middle-aged woman in deep mourning, sat opposite her two young guests and her young son, and despite her efforts to be merry, Reynard detected red eyes and an abstracted look. In the highflown, complimentary language of Old France’s court, he inquired the reason whereof.
  The Countess hesitated, and at last admitted that a thief had broken into her dressing-room in the night and stolen her wedding-ring—doubly precious now that her dear Eugène had departed, she confessed with tears.
  The Englishmen were duly indignant, and much discussion arose upon who this impudent villain might be, and what steps should be taken to find and capture him. After déjeuner, they adjourned to the garden, where the question was debated still further. Reynard was pacing about—to the great detriment of the Countess’ elegant lawn—when a sudden cry was heard.
  The party leapt to their feet and glanced about, wondering what was happening. The young Vicomte crowded close to his mother and set his jaw, preparing to defend her. The gardener came rushing towards his mistress, pale as mortal man may be.
  In disjointed words he gave the reason for his cry: below my lady’s dressing-room window he had discovered footprints.
  These were carefully examined by the young English soldiers, but no clue was there: the boots seemed to bear no distinguishing mark.
  Reynard set off to report this to his hostess, but a cry from the servants arrested him, and he turned to find them staring at him with mingled hostility and terror.
  “What is it?” he demanded of his older comrade, bemused and confused, with his hand upon his rapier.
  Nigel Callaghan looked grave. “Look,” was all he said, pointing to the muddy puddle Reynard had but just tramped through. Then his finger moved to the footprint left by the thief.
  The marks were identical.
  As if to further inciriminate the lad, Callaghan drew Reynard’s missing left boot from where it had been cast off under a bush.
  Reynard was crushed by the reception of this. In vain he protested, implored, and raged: the servants and the young Vicomte were firmly impressed that the secret thief was he. The Vicomte was disgusted by what seemed to him to have been hypocrisy in debating manners to catch the robber. The Comtesse proclaimed her belief in him, but he felt a slight fear hanging about her, and even Callaghan admitted circumstances were certainly against him, although he protested that he believed as a matter of course that his comrade could in no way be guilty of such an offense.
  This state of matters continued for a week; then one misty dawn, when a desperate Reynard was contemplating leaving for Spain, where he would try and gain his living by his sword, he was roused by the triumphant shout of his former friend the gardener.
  “Ma dame, ma dame! I have found him!”
  The Frenchman danced about under his mistress’ window, ecstatic.
  The Comtesse’s maid threw up the window and demanded an explication for this wild behavior.
  “O joy! O hour of delight!” cried the gardener. “My lady, I have found the thief! Monsieur the English lord is innocent! It is that villain Larron! I saw him, coming down from the window, with my English lord’s boot awaiting below! He marked the ground with its prints and tossed it, again, below the bush! O my lord! God be praised!” The good fellow was overcome with joy that his friend was blameless; his loyalty had been sorely shaken.
  The Comtesse displayed mingled emotions: joy that her favorite guest was innocent, shame that she had allowed doubt to affect her, fear of the unscrupulous and notorious criminal. . . She shed many tears imploring Reynard’s pardon, much to his embarrassment.
  As they stood, a few hours later, waiting for their grooms to lead out their horses, the young men watched guards march up, to escort the Comtesse and Vicomte home to the country château. Larron was a broken man; once a successful and higher-class bourgeois, he had taken to his wicked profession out of love of cruelty, and none seemed able to rout him out. The danger was his former statute: he was capable of ultimate sophistication and apparent humbleness, and often entered into livery, soon after robbing and killing. The Comtesse had appealed to the Queen, and she had been granted a guard of Royal soldiers.
  “Callaghan,” confided Reynard to his friend, “I am determined to stop this scoundrel Larron. To trouble and rob this poor lady, especially of such a prized possession! He shall return it, Callaghan!”
  “I daresay,” replied this personage, “but I suggest you begin by retrieving your second doublet. . . before it disappears inside your saddlebag again.”


----
Ah, awesome :D I'll be sending you your prize soon, Katja! Congratulations! 

Book Club... So Book Club Time!! A book that is summery! SO I had one planned, and took it camping, and I was sitting all bundled up in blankets thinking "This is not summer folks" haha. So yeah, the mood was kind of off most the time I was reading this book (and I still have wrap up a little bit in it today as I didn't have time to finish it the last few days of June) but I read Jane Austen's Emma! Ok, I know that part of Emma is during Christmas, and Mr. Elton goes on about how very cold it is, etc etc... but somehow Emma always feels so summery to me. Maybe it's the whole "picnic on Box Hill" scene or just Emma's personality, or maybe it's because it's so small-town and young-at-heart and light and warm and sweet and funny. But anyways, yep, that's what I read. How about you all? 

Monthly Wrap-Up. Ok, whatever you want to say about summers, mine has been crazy! In fact, the schedule is getting increasingly more busy as the days go by and I'm just trying to keep up honestly at this point, lol. If you haven't heard, I'm on Instagram now-- posting pictures every day-- and so if you use that platform, be sure to follow me! ;) Another awesome point is that I am only one subscriber short of 100 SUBSCRIBERS! If you are reading this and you haven't subscribed yet, be amazing and pop your email address in lol. :D

Writing: Let's see... May-June writing. Ok, I didn't do a whole lot. I've worked more on editing, writing a few odds and ends, blogposts, and working on some songs when it comes to the "writing" department. 


Reading: My goal was 15 books. My total count? 12, with (far too) many in-betweens haha. To be honest I'm pretty happy... I didn't think I'd get anywhere close. And most of it was in June, actually, lol. I really enjoyed my reading time recently-- I got a Kindle and it's been everywhere with me lol. :P Links lead to my review on Goodreads.

1. Breathe to Heal (nonfiction) -- Sasha Yakovleva, 4 stars
2. Sense and Sensibility -- Jane Austen, 5 stars
3. The Secret Slipper -- Amanda Tero, 5 stars
4. Dylan's Story (Beta) -- Rebekah Morris, 4 stars, (review to come)
5. Sugar Creek The Colorado Kidnapping -- Paul Hutchens, 5 stars
6. Sugar Creek The Treehouse Mystery -- Paul Hutchens, 5 stars
7. The Silent Blade -- Jesseca Wheaton, 3.5 stars
8. The Man With Two Left Feet -- P. G. Wodehouse, 3.5 stars
9. Writer's Productivity Crash Course (nonfiction) -- Nicholas Erik, 3 stars
10. The Three Mrs. Judsons (nonfiction) -- Arabella Stuart, 4 stars, 
11. The Needlemaker (mine-- it counts, ok, because how many times am I reading/going to read through this??) 
12. Emma -- Jane Austen, 5 stars (review to come)

In the middle of: 

1. David Copperfield -- Charles Dickens
2. Land of Cotton -- Ryana Lynn
3. Secrets of Royalty -- Livy Jarmusch

So you know, this was a pretty awesome two months of reading. Look how many high ratings! And just... I had a lot of fun with my reading this May-June. ;)

Other Goals:  (And yes, there's a few more from the April-May Book chat post and they're worded a bit different...let's just say I added some haha).

• Edit Needlemaker-- check! Well, I'm working on it. I didn't really say it had to be finished editing, haha. 
• Redo Old Blog Posts-- sort of check. I've done a few months worth, and am working on more. 
• Read Indie Books and Review Them -- Check! See some of the books above. ;) Originally I had it as "all" 
• Do Some YouTube Videos -- Check (ish). Not as much as I wanted, but I did do one or two, and have some in the editing process. 
• Start Instagram--  Yep! Hooray! :D

Book/Writerly Chat:
So I thought I'd do this questionnaire again from the Bookbug Goodreads group. :) 

1. What was the last book that made you cry? 
   *stares blankly at my books* Uh... no idea. Haven't really cried actual tears over books recently. I get teared up with The Needlemaker but that doesn't count of course. :P

2. What was the last book that made you laugh?
  The Man With Two Left Feet! Of course, that's a collection of short stories. 

3. What was the last book you read in public?
 Writer's Productivity Course.  

4. Where were you when you read your last book in public?
     The lake where we were camping. :D I was waiting for my dad to pick me up. 

5. What was the last book that made you fall in love with a character?
  Sugar Creek Gang books made me fall in love again with some characters.

6. Continuing with Q5, who was that character?
  Circus!!! <3 I've always loved that kid. ;) And Poetry always makes me laugh. 

7. What was the last book you put in your TBR? (Goodreads or not)
Ivy Introspective by Kellyn Roth

8. What was the last book you gave a review for?
 The Three Mrs. Judsons

9. What was the last book by an indie author that you've read?
     The Silent Blade is the last one I finished, by Jesseca Wheaton. :D 

10. What book are you really excited about reading next?
     I've really been wanting to read some L.M. Montgomery recently. So I'll probably read some of her short stories sometime. And yes, I haven't gotten to my last couple Song of Acadia books to finish the series yet and I REALLY want to, so those are high on my list to get to next, too. ;) 


Ok and Randomness: 

• I might be slightly afraid of my email inbox at this point. Somebody send help. :P
• I'm doing Camp NaNoWriMo this July-- but more for fun than anything. My goal is quite low and I'm doing a contemporary Kind Heart rather as a pantser/ with a very rough outline, haha. If you want to check out the synopsis, you can here! 
• I can't think of anything else. Life is so busy my brain is tired. Sorry. :P

Well that's all! Are you all doing Camp NaNoWriMo? How did your May-June reading challenge go? And what did you think of the awesome contest stories?

<3
Victoria

It has been 20 days since my last post. I had the blog always in the back of my mind, but for some reason never got around to actually writing up the posts. Then I realized with a huge amount of shock yesterday how long it had been since my last post. This is why I love scheduling them, y'all... and I think you probably prefer it when I do, too, so I'm not going AWOL all the time. *sighs* 

So anyways, I have a lot of posts up my sleeves, I just need to take the time to shake them out for you all haha! But I wanted to pop around to give you an update and some writerly thoughts. No tips or tricks or how to's this time. Just writer-pal to writer-pal chatting. ;) 

First of all, I'm currently expanding. You might have already noticed I'm on YouTube, but in case you missed it... I'm on YouTube! It's an all things bookish channel, with behind the scenes, book tags, fun book videos, reviews, and more. I am posting a couple videos a month on there, and I'd love it if you go check it out and subscribe! 

I'm also now on Instagram!! Writer's life and bookstagram pics are my main focus, and you can see a recent sneak peak in the screenshot above. ;) I shoot for a kind of cozy, rainy-day, comfortable feel and I share a lot of behind the scenes, writing thoughts, what I'm reading and more in the photo captions. So definitely, if you're on Instagram, let's connect! Bookbugs unite, lol. :D 

And in case you never noticed/knew, I've been on Facebook, Goodreads, Pinterest and Twitter for a while now. Let's be friends and follow, hey? :D All links in the sidebar! :) 

Next thing on my mind....
If you haven't gone through some of your old writing files and notebooks.... go do it. :) I keep everything, and I mean everything. Even all the cringe-worthy stacks of notebooks from when I was eleven to thirteen and wrote about kidnapped princesses and clumsy 14 year old guys in the Underground Railroad. (I know... what?? lol) I'm a big believer in keeping this stuff, even if I don't like it. Why? Well there's a few reasons.

1. Sometimes there's actually good ideas in there that you can use in new things.  Don't laugh, now. It's true. While, for sure, there's a lot *wrong* with your old stories, there can be some hidden gems in all the roughness. Clever ideas, nice use of dialogue, a pretty piece of description, a unique character... you certainly had them before, and if you look past the clumsy writing or cliche plot points you can find some great stuff. 

2. It shows you how much you've improved over the years. Nothing is better for a confidence boost then realizing how good you've actually gotten. Don't compare yourself to others around you... compare only to what you were yesterday, or the month before, or three years before. Without being hard on past you, of course. ;) 

3. It helps you lighten up-- it's ok to laugh at your old stuff, and it can be a good way of remembering that writing isn't always so serious. 

4. Sometimes you can see strong points from your previous writing that maybe you've lost over time. Reading old things can help you see what your strong points were then, compared to now. Maybe there's something you had a knack for before that you've lost or maybe aren't doing as well now. Rereading old things can help you see what. 

5. And sometimes you find things that got buried or forgotten and maybe they're actually worth looking at. Whether it's something you lost interest in for a time, or something that was put on the back burner as other projects took the forefront, sometimes when we go through old things we find something that actually shows a lot of promise... and we can get re-inspired! :) 


So with all that talk about looking at previously written things, you've probably guessed that I've been doing a bit of that. And yep, it's true. Not a whole lot, but here and there in the past month I've gone through some old things just because. And that's when you find things like this: 

   She had been christened Oceana, and it was rightly so, for the sea was in her blood. Today, as she walked along the beach in a midday drizzle, the storm coursed through her veins as much as it did on the water. It was cold--the kind of gray, foggy daytime cold that had not a breath of wind but chilled to the marrow just the same. On most occasions, it would not have bothered young Oceana Spraggs. But today, the cold settled deep in the pit of her stomach and she hurried on, head bowed.
   She was a tall girl, and sturdy for her age of nineteen. Her hair and eyes were both black, and altogether she possessed a look of orderliness and positive health. She stopped for a moment near the shelter of a swooping dune, sitting down on a gnarled, sea-scrubbed log. She breathed deeply as she sat, a flush rising into her cheeks and her eyes snapping more and more the longer she rested.
   "I will not!" she burst out, between clenched teeth. "Of all the preposterous ideas!"
   From behind, sand shifted in near silent movements as a young boy came scrambling down the dune, a large black umbrella in hand. "I thought as I should find you here!" he called, slipping up behind her and sheltering her with the umbrella. "You shall catch a miserable cold, dear."
   "I shan't--but you are kind of thinking of me so." Oceana looked up and managed a smile at her younger cousin. He brightened and sat down next to her.
   "What were you thinking so much about in the rain, Oceana?" It was a simple inquiry, but the flash started back in the girl's eyes. Her cousin shifted uneasily, adding hastily, "I do not mean to intrude."
   "No, no--" Oceana covered her eyes with her hand. "I've only been rather disgusted with today in general. But come, a gentlewoman shouldn't be complaining so, should she, Gregory Spraggs?"
   Gregory smiled, standing up and gently pulling at Oceana's arm. "No, dear, but if you should like it, I'll overlook such rules for a time."
   Oceana shook her skirts free from the sand and hooked her hand around Gregory's arm. "I do not wish to talk about it presently, I'm afraid, but you shall find out soon enough, I'd expect." Here she sighed deeply, but Gregory did not ask any more questions.
   Together they walked up to the wide, sprawling white house situated directly above the dune and little beach. Here was where Oceana's wealthy uncle and his family lived, as well as her and her brother, ever since the loss of their parents when Oceana was age nine. Her brother was now positioned quite nicely on a merchant's ship, and was somewhere in warmer weather, that was to be sure, but today was the first time anyone had seriously mentioned a drastic change for Oceana's peaceful life at the Light House, as her uncle’s place was commonly called.

Apparently this is the beginning of a story I started to write when I was fifteen. (There's more to it, I just gave you the first snippet haha!) I had totally forgotten about it, but here it is.... plot very vague in my memory (and no notes, lol...I was such a pantser), and all I know anymore is that it's some sort of 1880's ish sea faring adventure kind of a tale. 

So what do you think? Do you like going through old things, too? Did I convince you that you should? haha. 

I'll be back again soon, but until then, have a lovely time and happy writing! 
<3
Victoria