Prompt & Pairing, Please: Baking Practice

Friendly warning: I got hungry while I was writing this. Gabriel and Cams were a surprise in my writing “career” — Cams is from Fall Like Rain, but Gabriel came out of nowhere and is probably my most talkative LI. I would often “complain” about him online because he often finds his way in my headspace, and seems to be a very extroverted character that my love for him rivals my love for Nico. Technically, they were my second “book” then I added their story in You Could Be the One because they’re friends who became lovers, thanks to online… Read More »Prompt & Pairing, Please: Baking Practice

Prompt & Pairing, Please: Dream Destination

For #RCReadathon2020, some #romanceclass authors have signed up for a little mini-event called Prompt & Pairing, Please where we write some ficlets with our characters. Because I am a person who is in need of writing challenges to get me out of this writer’s block/funk, I signed up! With two pairs because we’re overachievers like that. For Rain and Mark, the prompt was: Roadtrip or Rain and Mark on their first intl travel together as a couple ❤️ Yes, the heart was really included in this prompt, haha, so thank you to whoever submitted it! I meant to post this… Read More »Prompt & Pairing, Please: Dream Destination

Wordplay # 3: Resolutions

Oh, this is a favorite! I used a prompt for this, from a blog called Write Anything, for their Fiction Friday activity: Take a favorite character you have created. Pick a New Year’s Resolution that they truly intended to keep. Now, why did they break it within 24 hours? Because I started writing the first version of Ruth and Ian’s story in 2008, they were the characters I knew well at that time and the easiest to write. I also maybe relate to Ruth a little too much, and some parts of the premise in this piece were from real-life… Read More »Wordplay # 3: Resolutions

Wordplay # 2: Daggers

And it’s time for another Wordplay entry from 2009. And this one is…interesting, haha! So the first incomplete draft of Fall Like Rain was written in November 2006, for NaNoWriMo. A lot has changed from that, of course, but in the first version, Camilla/Cams was Rain’s rival because she was the ex (and by then she still didn’t know that they already broke up), and Francis was still a genuinely nice guy. I can’t remember the prompt I used for this piece except I wanted to write from Camilla’s POV. Also, Rain is way friendlier in this version. That said,… Read More »Wordplay # 2: Daggers

What I’ve been reading lately

I used to be able to read over 100 books a year. Back when I was still book blogging, I was never without a book (or two) in my bag. I’d easily finish a book in three days, two if I stay up too late to finish reading it. And then I’d actually sit down, compose a review on a blog and on Goodreads and then talk about the book with people.

Where did I ever find the time to do all of that back then?

Anyway, as years passed the total number of books I read every year started going down, down, down, until I stopped setting reading goals because it didn’t seem like a goal I’m interested to reach anymore. Maybe it’s because I’ve stopped impulsively buying books, or because through those 100+ book years I’ve refined what I like reading more and stuck to that, and lost some patience slogging through books that I find hard to read/end up not liking anyway? And maybe because there’s also just so much more things happening in life + I need more sleep so reading now takes a backseat.

I do miss getting lost in a very good book, though. So now when I find a book that pulls me in and makes me want to read every free second I have, I hold onto it and cherish the time I have with it because it’s such a rarity to find something to hold my attention nowadays.

So I don’t know if this will be a blog series too, or whatever, but I thought I’d share some of the books I’ve read this year that gave me that feeling again — that can’t-put-this-down, I-have-to-read-more, why-is-it-over-too-soon reading feeling that all readers are looking for. And hopefully, you get to pick up one of these books, too, and tell me what you think about it when you read it?

Like Never Before by Melissa Tagg

Buy from Amazon / Read it on Scribd

Aka Logan Walker is my new book boyfriend! I have seen Melissa Tagg’s books on Scribd before but only started reading her when I got my new Kindle and found a bunch of her books on Kindle Unlimited. I started with her Christmas collection and just fell in love. Small town romance, quirky characters, all the good swoony moments and not-preachy discussions on faith? SOLD.

Like Never Before is the second book on her Walker family series, and it’s funny because I think I liked Logan already even while I was reading From the Start, the first book that featured his sister Kate. This book isn’t on Kindle Unlimited but it’s on Scribd and I am so glad it is there because oh my gosh, swoon? I love everything about Logan – a doting single dad, a strict but caring Kuya (older brother) and his romance with Amelia the town newspaper editor? *chef’s kiss* Needless to say I’m always on the lookout for Kuya Logan in all the next Maple Valley books. Thank goodness the author is also in love with this character, heehee.

 

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