Howdy, howdy! It’s time for another short Jenae appreciation post. This time, it’s her actual birthday (June 8th). She’s my little sis, my found family, my forever friend. And she’s the bestest. Hugs and love and all of that sappy stuff to you! She knows I’m really bad at this openly affectionate stuff, so I hope she forgives me for being weird and creepy.
Happy birthday, Sis! Couldn’t find an appropriate picture, so you get your favorite prince!
You’re smart and sassy and gorgeous. I still wish your husband would let me marry you, just so we could wear fancy clothes and eat epic cake. Stop being a buzzkill, Matt! I kid. Maybe. Nah… it’s the distance that’s the buzzkill, not the hubby. Why do you have to be so far away? Ah well. It just means I have to admire you from afar. I would say it was good because this way you don’t have to know how creepy I really am, but you met me at peak cringe when I didn’t hide it at all and still didn’t run away. I think we’re good.
You’re a wonderful mother and friend and nerd. I’m so glad I get to watch you grow every step of the way. I love that you’re turning your kids into little nerds too. I know life gets crazy and difficult, but you always do your best with what you have. You listen to me complain and always know when I’m looking for actual help or just someone to plot revenge with. It’s usually the latter. We’ve planned so much chaos. You’re the best sidekick a villain could have.
Did I mention you’re gorgeous?
I love you, Sis. And I hope your birthday is awesome!
Hello, hello! It’s June already. How’s everyone doing? Are you ready for this month? I don’t really have much planned. I’m going to try to find a couple of more publishers to submit to before I decide whether to trunk DS1 or do something else with it. Going to try to force myself to write more, but I’ve had no luck there. Mostly, I’m going to read. So, I present you with a list of books that I hope to get to over the next few months. This doesn’t include the books I’ll review, so I probably won’t get through them all, but maybe.
1. Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen. It’s one of the books I’m currently reading and I love it so far (I’m about halfway through). Luckily, book two is due out in September, so I don’t have to wait too long for more.
Book blurb: A way to survive. A way to serve. A way to save.
Simi prayed to the gods, once. Now she serves them as Mami Wata–a mermaid–collecting the souls of those who die at sea and blessing their journeys back home.
But when a living boy is thrown overboard, Simi goes against an ancient decree and does the unthinkable–she saves his life. And punishment awaits those who dare to defy the gods.
To protect the other Mami Wata, Simi must journey to the Supreme Creator to make amends. But all is not as it seems. There’s the boy she rescued, who knows more than he should. And something is shadowing Simi, something that would rather see her fail . . .
Danger lurks at every turn, and as Simi draws closer, she must brave vengeful gods, treacherous lands, and legendary creatures. Because if she fails, she risks not only the fate of all Mami Wata, but also the world as she knows it.
2. In Deeper Waters by F.T. Lukens. I recently read something else by them (So this is Ever After), which was super predictable, but adorable and basically the fluffy stuff of happiness. That’s all I’m really hoping for from this one too.
Book blurb: Prince Tal has long awaited his coming-of-age tour. After spending most of his life cloistered behind palace walls as he learns to keep his forbidden magic secret, he can finally see his family’s kingdom for the first time. His first taste of adventure comes just two days into the journey, when their crew discovers a mysterious prisoner on a burning derelict vessel.
Tasked with watching over the prisoner, Tal is surprised to feel an intense connection with the roguish Athlen. So when Athlen leaps overboard and disappears, Tal feels responsible and heartbroken, knowing Athlen could not have survived in the open ocean.
That is, until Tal runs into Athlen days later on dry land, very much alive, and as charming—and secretive—as ever. But before they can pursue anything further, Tal is kidnapped by pirates and held ransom in a plot to reveal his rumored powers and instigate a war. Tal must escape if he hopes to save his family and the kingdom. And Athlen might just be his only hope…
3. The Merciless Ones by Namina Forna. I’ve been waiting for this one for a while. I’m pretty sure I still remember the important bits from The Gilded Ones, but I might have to Google stuff. We’ll see.
Book blurb: It’s been six months since Deka freed the goddesses in the ancient kingdom of Otera and discovered who she really is… but war is waging across the kingdom, and the real battle has only just begun. For there is a dark force growing in Otera—a merciless power that Deka and her army must stop.
Yet hidden secrets threaten to destroy everything Deka has known. And with her own gifts changing, Deka must discover if she holds the key to saving Otera… or if she might be its greatest threat.
The Merciless Ones is the second thrilling installment of the epic fantasy series in which a young heroine fights against a world that would dare tame her.
4. Three Shots to the Wind by Sherry Harris. It’s a beachy cozy mystery, so definitely appropriate for summer. Not one of my absolute favorite series, but cute enough that I keep reading it.
Book blurb: Saloon owner Chloe Jackson appears to have a secret admirer. She’s pouring drinks at the Sea Glass Saloon in Emerald Cove when an airplane flies by above the beach with a banner reading I LOVE YOU CHLOE JACKSON. She immediately rules out Rip Barnett. They are in the early stages of dating and no one has said the L word. Then a bouquet of lilacs—her favorite flower—is delivered to the bar, followed by an expensive bottle of her favorite sparkling wine. It couldn’t be…
Sure enough, her ex-fiancé from Chicago has flown down to Florida for an accountants’ convention. But is he trying to mix business with pleasure and win her back? Unfortunately he’s not in a hotel conference room, he’s floating facedown in the lake next to her house, clutching a photo of Chloe. Who murders an accountant on a business trip—it just doesn’t add up. When Rip becomes the prime suspect, Chloe is determined to find the secret murderer. But if she isn’t careful, it may be closing time and lights out for her…
5. Chef’s Kiss by Jarrett Melendez. I haven’t read a graphic novel in a while. Well… technically I guess I have. Do webtoons count? Anyway, I was just looking for something fun and ran across the alternate cover for this by Kevin Wada (posted below) and immediately bought the book (because yum). Don’t judge me.
Book blurb: Now that college is over, English graduate Ben Cook is on the job hunt looking for something…anything…related to his passion for reading and writing. According to the hiring committees, he doesn’t have enough experience. But when he stumbles upon a “Now Hiring—No Experience Necessary” sign outside a restaurant, Ben jumps at the chance to land his first job. He’s actually not so bad in the kitchen, plus, he can keep looking for a writing job in the meantime. But when he begins developing a crush on Liam, one of the super dreamy chefs at the restaurant, he’ll start to feel torn between wanting to stay and cook and following his original post-college plan to be a writer. Watch things start to really heat up in the kitchen in this queer YA debut graphic novel!
I have other books I want to read, but these plus the review books will be more than I can get through. Probably. What’s on your summer reading list? As always, feel free to share your thoughts or comments here or on my social media pages!
Hello, hello! How’s everyone doing? It was one of those weird days where my entire schedule was off, so I’m writing this super late. Again. I didn’t plan on flaking. It just happened. But, I do have a couple of cute pupper videos as a kind of apology. Not only do these videos feature Mardi, but also Buddy! He was our neighbor’s cat, but the neighbor decided to move and just leave him behind. Dude’s a shitty pet owner, I know. Don’t get me started. So, now Buddy spends a lot of time in our yard where there’s plenty of cat food and water and soft things to lounge on. Now, I’m going to try to get those videos on here. I’ve only ever embedded videos from YouTube on here, not straight from my computer. Hopefully it isn’t too difficult.
Video 1: Our delicate flower Mardi goes bowling with Buddy
Video 2: That’s not how this Works: Cuddles on a Rainy Day
So, since WordPress is greedy and wants more of my money just to upload videos, it was easier just to upload them to YouTube and embed them here. That was annoying but whatever. Yay for videos! The only thing hurt in either of these videos was pride. I’ll be back next week with a book review!
Howdy, howdy! How’s your May going? Things are okay here. Mostly just waiting to see if I hear back from publishers. Send good vibes for that! That’s about it, really. I avoided writing this post until the last minute again. There was even a point where I was literally a doorstop to keep the pupper from escaping while Dad did stuff in the front yard. He had to run an air hose through the house, so the front door wouldn’t latch. It happens. But I listened to music while I sat there holding the door mostly closed and randomly thought of those stupid MySpace games where you answer a questionnaire by shuffling your music and answering with the first song title that pops up. Remember? No? I’m showing my age? Whatever. Anyway, we’re playing that game today. I apologize in advance for my taste in music.
1. How am I feeling today? We are Golden (by Mika). Not really, but okay. 2. Will I get far in life? Landslide (by Fleetwood Mac). So, no? 3. What Is my best friend’s theme song? Dejavu (by Luna Sea). I have no idea. I guess I should start into translations again. 4. What was high school like? Oye Como Va (by Santana). Sure. Why not? 5. What is the best thing about me? Pixy (by Buck-Tick). It’s Buck-Tick, so I’m happy. 6. How was yesterday? Louie Louie (by the Kingsmen). I guess? 7. What is my love life like? You Can’t Judge a Book by its Cover (by Bo Diddley). Mostly because mine is blank. 8. What would my parents say about me? Kanashimi Johnny (by Kiyoharu). Who’s Johnny and why is he so sad? 9. What song will they play at my funeral? Pain (by Jimmy Eat World). Eh… maybe. 10. How does the world see me? Fluorescent Adolescent (by Arctic Monkeys). Awww… you think I’m young. 11. What do my friends really think of me? Guilty (by Barbra Streisand with Barry Gibbs). I’m an innocent angel, thanks very much. 12. What is the world keeping a secret from me? Fire (by Jimi Hendrix). But I just want to watch the world burn… 13. How do I make myself happy? Light On (by David Cook). What does that even mean? 14. What should I do with my life? Spectacular Rival (by George Ezra). Dude… I’m far too lazy for a rivalry. 15. Will I have children? Look After You (by the Fray). Nope. No. Nah. 16. What is some good advice? Only a Human (by George Ezra). “You can run, you can jump, might fuck it up…” 17. What type of people do I like? Obscure (by Dir en Grey). I think I make it pretty clear, actually. 18. What will my dying words be? Break Stuff (by Limp Bizkit). I mean… maybe? 19. What is your motto? Someday (by Nickelback). That works. 20. What makes you laugh? Bleeding Love (by Leona Lewis). What? 21. What makes you cry? The Islander (by Nightwish). So, avoid people from islands? 22. What scares you most? A Beautiful Morning (by the Rascals). Mornings in general are terrible and shouldn’t exist. 23. What hurts right now? Everything (by Lifehouse). Accurate. 24. My innermost desire is: Dance with the Devil (by Breaking Benjamin). Sure. Why not? 25. My theme song: Loser (by Three Doors Down). That is accurate and insulting.
Howdy, howdy! I know I’ve written some short posts, but I haven’t actually skipped a blog day since August 2020. So, since I feel blah and can’t think of anything to write about, I’m just going to skip this week. I’ll be back with a book review next Wednesday. Hopefully May will be better for blogging. Here’s something pretty for the hell of it.
Hello, hello! How’s everyone doing? Welcome to April! Yesterday, we had a new addition to the family. So, this is just a quick post to introduce her. This little girl came into the Mesquite Animal Shelter last week and a friend of ours reached out to see if we would be interested in adopting her in the event her owners didn’t show up. She’s well groomed and has a nifty little dye job, so we figured the owners would be looking. Apparently not. This is Mardi (because of the Mardi Gras dye job) and she now has her furever home. She’s a little nervous, but super friendly and sweet. I think she’ll settle in comfortably and end up just as spoiled as the rest of our pups were. Thank you again to Mary (our friend who gave us the heads up).
Hello, hello! How’s everyone doing? Things here are quiet and lazy. The past couple of days have been gloomy. Just generally blah. The severe weather stayed away from us, so that’s always good. But I have no idea what to ramble about. I have a tendency to mention wandering off into an abyss on Facebook when I have nothing else to do, so last week, a friend said one of my blog posts should be about my abyss, but written like one of those descriptions on Zillow (a real estate thingie). So, this’ll be a shorter post (Zillow descriptions are only 250 words? Ugh), but challenge accepted.
But first, did I show you my new glasses? Okay, now back to the description.
Here we go:
Luxurious, low maintenance abyss available for anyone seeking a secluded getaway from the hustle and bustle of life. The open floor plan allows for easy access to each feature even in the complete darkness of the void. Includes wide open space to flail around on the hardwood floors while reliving every cringe moment you’ve ever had. The standard box of doom has recently been renovated into a walk in closet of doom, perfect for plotting or simply screaming into the dark. The single bedroom offers room for a king sized bed and small sitting area, so you can decide where to lounge while staring vacantly into nothingness. An en suite offers both a jacuzzi tub and a walk in shower, so you can soak your troubles away while dwelling on that time the waiter said “enjoy your food” and you answered “you too” or stand under the scorching water to contemplate similarly important things in life. No need for a sauna as the abyss’s proximity to Hades means it easily maintains a toasty and oddly humid 106 degrees. The lack of a kitchen isn’t for everyone, but who are you kidding? You’re just going to order something in anyway. No yard means no need to spend time outside doing things like yardwork or talking to the neighbors. All of this could be yours for the low, low price of… if you have to ask, you can’t afford it! Call to schedule a private tour today.
It’s an abyss. What did you expect?
And I came in at 245 words. But seriously. This is my abyss and you can’t have it. Back to our regularly scheduled book review next week!
Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing? Are you recovering from the time change? I’m not. I’m still tired and keep thinking it’s earlier than it really is. I wish they’d just pick a thing and stick with it. Ugh. But anyway, I have nothing to ramble about, so I thought I’d share some pretty clothes that have caught my eye recently. Don’t worry. I won’t be ditching my jeans and henleys/tees for this stuff. None of it would actually look good on me and some of it would probably stab me in the face if I even tried it (you’ll see what I mean). I just like looking.
1. Going back to 1992 with Dior’s Palladium Dress. It was the basis for Princess Serenity’s dress in Sailor moon. Who doesn’t want to be a princess? But it is pretty and simple and I could probably actually wear something like this. I would. But I also probably wouldn’t because I’m weird and feel stupid and self conscious in dresses.
2. Let’s go back even further to 1897 with this tea gown from House of Worth. Because apparently tea was a super fancy occasion? I don’t know. But the blue on the green is absolutely gorgeous. It was made for a Countess Greffulhe. Supposedly, she was partial to green because it contrasted so nicely with her auburn hair. She sounds kind of extra and I’m okay with that.
3. How about some pirate stuff? This one is from Silver Leaf Costumes. It’s my favorite combination of colors! I know this type of thing can get super elaborate and I love it when it does, but if I ever got into it, I’d probably stick to the simpler side. I haven’t worn a corset in years, though. But I sure do like seeing other people wear them. Gah, I miss renfests and conventions. Covid ruins everything. One day, I’ll be able to people watch again.
4. Dark couture? Kind of steampunk? Love the dark steampunk vibes Lucardis Feist created here. I told my friend we should get this pair and have a date night. She could wear the dress and I’d wear the suit. I am aware that it’s part of the wedding collection, but I don’t think her husband would approve of a wedding, so just a fancy date night! She’s into it, but unfortunately we’re poor and live too far away from each other to make it a reality. But yes. I would rock a suit.
5. These gorgeous designs by Firefly Path were inspired by the Unseelie and Seelie faerie courts. I definitely gravitate toward the Unseelie design, but you see what I mean by face stabby. Even if my head were straight, I’d probably still stab myself in the face multiple times with the branches. But they’re both fabulous and I love them even if I couldn’t actually wear them.
I could go on forever with my weird fashion tastes, but I won’t. Wouldn’t want to bore you. What kind of clothing do you like? Do you wear it or are you more into looking? As always, feel free to share your thoughts or comments here or on my social media pages!
Hello, hello! How’s everything going? Hard to believe we’re already this far into March. It actually feels like a super busy month and I don’t really know why. Maybe it’s because it’s the Jailbird’s (my oldest sister) birthday, so I had to do a couple of extra things for her instead of forgetting she exists like I usually do (yes, I’m a horrible sister, but I’m okay with that). Going to pick up new glasses today. But otherwise, it’s just my usual schedule. I don’t know why I feel overwhelmed. All I want to do is escape into a fantasy world. So, since I have nothing else to ramble about, let’s talk about methods of escape!
This! This is why everything is overwhelming right now.
1. Music. I went from barely listening during the day for months to blasting it just about every time I’m in the house alone. I’ve been on a Beatles, Kansas, Queen, and Buck-Tick kick lately. It’s weird because I only like two Kansas songs and a handful of Queen songs (gasp! Blasphemy, I know. Sorry Freddie). Oh, and like everyone else my age and younger, I’ve been obsessive about the Encanto soundtrack. It helps that I usually play mindless games while listening to music as loud as it will go. I can just listen and sing along and not think about anything in particular. It’s nice.
2. Reading. I actually found another series to be obsessed with already (but Simon and Baz are still my current favorite boys). The Folk of the Air series by Holly Black. I’ve had book one (The Cruel Prince) sitting in my TBR pile for like two years now, so I decided to give it a try. I figured I’d read it and move on to something else I owned, but no. I had to buy the next two books in the series and binge them. I’m currently halfway through book two (The Wicked King) and not regretting my choice to spend money at all, which is weird. And apparently there are at least two other books that are connected to the series that I will eventually talk myself into buying. Reading is an expensive habit.
3. Beta reading. It’s technically reading, but I get to be useful (I hope). What’s beta reading? It’s when you read a friend’s (or however you’re related) manuscript and offer feedback. So, not only do I get to read an awesome story, I get to offer encouragement and advice on how to make the story stronger. It’s a really helpful thing for me because 1) I get to feel like I’m actually useful to someone (you know who you are) and 2) it gets me into a revision mindset, so it’s easier to come at my own work with the editor scissors. But mostly, I get to escape into a cool story.
4. Staring into space. I basically just tell myself stories when this happens. Or I relive stupid moments that I’d rather not think about. My brain is an asshole sometimes. This usually happens while I’m trying to fall asleep or if I’m watching TV and can’t get into the show. I find it happening more often lately, but I try to shake it off. Meh.
Definitely the fourth one.
Anyhoo, how’s it going by you? How are you coping with the state of the world? As always, feel free to share your thoughts or comments or questions or whatever here or on my social media pages!
Hello, hello! How’s everyone doing? Welcome to March. Are you ready for this month? I’m not, but that’s okay. Today, I just wanted to take some time to say a quick goodbye.
When I was little, I was a beggar for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Okay, that’s not what they called us, but that was our job. They had a bunch of “ambassadors” (me and other kids) whose job it was to look cute and get people to donate money to MDA for research and equipment and stuff to help people with disabilities. It was a great program when I was kid. Now, it’s more research oriented, but back then it was all about the families and helping people in need. It helped me and my parents a lot with equipment that we couldn’t afford at a time when insurance wasn’t an option for us. But I digress. MDA also introduced us to some really interesting people.
Dad, me, and Ed at Texas de Brazil in 2017.
One of those people was Ed Baker. He passed away due to Covid a few days ago. We weren’t super close, but he was one of those people who just felt like a friend no matter how often or sparingly we talked to him. He always had kind words for us and amusing stories. Whether from his days with the Jerry Lewis telethon or whatever travels he had been on, he always seemed to have a never ending number of anecdotes and memories to share. And share he did. Aside from being an amazing human being, he was also a photographer. He gifted me a picture of a torii (Japanese gate) outside a shrine from a trip he took to Japan. It’s hanging on my wall and is one of my favorite things. With the pandemic, we weren’t able to meet up with him for dinner or anything. And we didn’t reach out nearly as much as we should’ve. But Dad and I will miss Ed.
I suppose we’ll just have to get that Indian food we’ve been promising each other for years now in the next life. Rest easy, Ed.
Shawna's Blog of Doom 