Sister Weekend & Ellie Goulding Concert

This weekend was awesome! Mostly due to the fact that my sister came to visit! And of course, the Ellie Goulding concert we went to!

Since all my sisters live in California, it's such a special treat for me when they come up to Washington to visit!

To start, I took the day off on Friday and drove my sister to Seattle to explore. My sister's visited so many times she's practically seen everything, so it was fun to just walk around. I took her to this cute little crumpet shop called Queen Bee in Madison Park, a place I frequent, and was delighted that she liked it just as much!

After walking around the arboretum, we went to the grocery store to get supplies to roll sushi for dinner.

It was her first time rolling as well as Michael's so it was fun and relaxed Friday as we made our own rolls for dinner (California rolls, and spicy tuna rolls).

After, we rented the movie Brooklyn and I absolutely adored it. If you haven't seen it yet, I recommend checking it out!

Saturday morning we went out to brunch at Tallulah's. It's one of our favorite places that we take all of my family members too. After a run in the afternoon, it was finally time to get ready for the Ellie Goulding concert! To start off the night we did Happy Hour at Petit Toulouse and then headed over to the arena for the show.

Let me tell you, Ellie Goulding's voice is heavenly. Her albums don't do her voice justice. See her perform live and you'll understand why.

It was by far the best concert I've ever been to and I would totally see Ellie live again in a heartbeat!

Sunday, we kept it pretty relaxed by going on a leisure hike before getting some shrimp tacos from Cactus for lunch. Afterwards we headed to the Korean store to grab some ingredients for dinner.

During the day we watched A Little Chaos which was another great movie (I recommend that as well)!

Monday, I had to go back to work, but my sister and I made the most of it by getting pedicures after and making a lasagna bake for dinner.

Then just like that my sister's stay was over. It was hard to drop her off at the airport and I always get slightly nostalgic when my family leaves. Luckily, I'll be going back to California in just two months to see them all. For now, I'll just cherish the memories.

A Quarter of a Century

This past Saturday was my 25th Birthday. I am now a quarter of a century and I can't believe it. I was never one to celebrate aging. I've always wanted to stay young, stay a teen forever (you can tell I write Young Adult, right?). I'm not sure why I do. Maybe because everything is always so new, exhilarating, and exciting when you're that young. Or maybe because I feel accomplished if I meet my goals at a young age. All stupid thinking, really, but my do the years pass quickly. 

I remember how I've spent my birthday every year from age 14 to 25. This year, I tried to celebrate not just the milestone of 25, but the whole of my life. Because life is too short, and even if I can't be young forever, I feel blessed to have lived another year. And the next year is never a guarantee, so it's time to start celebrating.

So this year, Michael and I flew to Palm Desert to visit his rents and to celebrate my birthday with his family. Next year, I'll fly home to Sacramento and celebrate with my family. As you can tell, I absolutely love California. You can take the girl out of California, but you can't take California out of the girl. I love the heat. The sun. The fresh produce. I love it all.

I started my morning with a run then went to lunch with Michael's mother and sister. Afterwards, Michael took me around to Old Town La Quinta to check out the shops. They had this awesome nitrogen ice cream shop that I loved. So, so, so creamy.

After we checked out the local wine bar before heading back to the house to meet the rest of his family before dinner.

Since Michael's sister and I are only three days apart with our birthdays we went out to Lavender Bistro for dinner to celebrate with everyone. Everything was great! The ambiance, the company, the drinks, the food, and of course, the dessert!

Do you remember how you spent your last birthday? What do you look forward to on your special day? Comment below :)

Bookish Feels: Blackhearts by Nicole Castroman

No pirates in the book, but there is a complicated love story!

The Book: Blackbeard the pirate was known for striking fear in the hearts of the bravest of sailors. But once he was just a young man who dreamed of leaving his rigid life behind to chase adventure in faraway lands. Nothing could stop him—until he met the one girl who would change everything.

Edward "Teach" Drummond, son of one of Bristol's richest merchants, has just returned from a year-long journey on the high seas to find his life in shambles. Betrothed to a girl he doesn’t love and sick of the high society he was born into, Teach dreams only of returning to the vast ocean he’d begun to call home. There's just one problem: convincing his father to let him leave and never come back.

Following her parents' deaths, Anne Barrett is left penniless and soon to be homeless. Though she’s barely worked a day in her life, Anne is forced to take a job as a maid in the home of Master Drummond. Lonely days stretch into weeks, and Anne longs for escape. How will she ever realize her dream of sailing to Curaçao—where her mother was born—when she's stuck in England? 

From the moment Teach and Anne meet, they set the world ablaze. Drawn to each other, they’re trapped by society and their own circumstances. Faced with an impossible choice, they must decide to chase their dreams and go, or follow their hearts and stay. (from Goodreads)

My Feels: Do you like historical YA? Do you like diverse books? Do you love stories with heart and vibrant characters? This is for you.

And oh the ending! I'm still a little hurt about it!

The two main leads in this book were well done, the plot well thought out, and very current to the time in which it took place. Society plays a key part in this book but speaks volumes to our present day. Cue discussion about class, sexism, and etc.

I will admit that the majority of this story focused on romance. Good for me because I like that kind of thing, but those seeking historical fantasy may not want to ride the third wheel. The romance, I felt was genuine and believable so I didn't mind. I liked how both characters who were unhappy in their current circumstances came together and provided a deep companionship.

All in all, a pretty enjoyable read for a stormy Sunday :)

Bookish Feels: Seven Black Diamonds by Melissa Marr

Another faery story by Marr? Yes, please!

The Book: Lilywhite Abernathy is a criminal. Her father’s “unconventional” business has meant a life of tightly held secrets, concealed weaponry, and a strict code. But Lily’s crime isn’t being the daughter of a powerful mob boss. Her guilt lies in the other half of her DNA—the part that can coax ancient rumors from stones and summon fire with a thought. Lily is part fae, which is a crime in her world.

From the time before she was born, a war has been raging between humanity and fae. The Queen of Blood and Rage, ruler of both the Seelie and Unseelie courts, wants to avenge the tragic death of her heir—a death that was the fault of reckless humans.

Lily’s father has shielded her from the repercussions of her ancestry…until she is sent to the prestigious St. Columba’s school, straight into the arms of the Black Diamonds.

Mysterious, glamorous, and bound together in their mission but constantly at odds, Zephyr, Creed, Will, Roan, Violet, and Alkamy are a Sleeper cell of fae, planted in the human world to help destroy it from within. With covers as rock stars and celebrity children, the Black Diamonds carry out the queen’s war against humanity. And unbeknownst to Lilywhite, she’s been chosen to join them.

Now more than ever, Lily’s heritage puts her in peril, and even the romantic attention of the fae singer Creed Morrison isn’t enough to keep Lily from wanting to run back to the safer world of organized crime.

Melissa Marr returns to faery in a dramatic story of the precarious space between two worlds and the people who must thrive there. (from Goodreads)

My Feels: I loved The Wicked Lovely series, Marr's first tales of the faery realm, so I was so stoked to hear about this one so I pre-ordered it. It's oh so pretty!

The first thing I noticed while reading? This world is very different from Aislinn's and made me miss Seth. Marr does make up with it with a whole new cast though. But when I was reading, I was unaware that this was a part of dualogy, so the number of characters tripped me up a bit. That being said, this is not as plot-driven as Wicked Lovely, but character-driven. Marr brought the characters to life in an interesting world all in their very own unique circumstances. 

The two stars of the cast based on the blurb are Lilywhite and Will, but I felt myself more drawn to the complex position Zephyr and Alkamy were in. If you like complicated relationships, this is for you. 

If you love fae books, this is for you. However, if you're new to it all, I highly recommend Wicked Lovely prior to reading this as it'll help ease you into this world. 

My current eats, reads, and other miscellaneous things.

Never ever come to my blog hungry. If you do, I'm afraid you'll hate me for it, because look at this:

Okay, maybe that's not the most appetizing picture since it's, well...bone marrow. But it's seriously amazing and goes so well with the marmalade. This was a dish from 99 Park, a new restuarant in Bellevue that Michael and I have been frequenting.

The food, drinks, and staff have been absolutely perfect and on point. I have yet to be disappointed here and I hope I never do!

Another place we frequent is The Walrus & The Carpenter. Probably once of our favorite resturants in Seattle.

As you can tell, Michael and I love food. 99% of our date nights happen at restaurants, partly because I am obsessed with delicious tasting things, and Michael loves trying new wine and pairing it with food. It also gives us a chance to splurge since I tend to make the same thing for dinner all week.

The past two weeks has had its fair share of ups and downs, but I think I'm on the upswing. Plus, it's Friday, and that always boosts my mood!

In the meantime, I'm working my way through my TBR pile. As of now, I'm about halfway done with my print books. My Kindle, however, holds many more! My current read is Seven Black Diamonds. I have less than a hundred pages left, and I'm still not sure how I feel about it. It has a different vibe from Wicked Lovely, so maybe I'm still acclimating to the change. But, you can definitely expect a 'Bookish Feels' post on all of these.

Other things I'm obsessed with? Music! Halsey, Zella Day, Troye Sivan, and Parachute (their new album 'Wide Awake' released today!) have dominated my playlists!

I also burned through season one of UnREAL. All in all, a good week!

What are your current eats, reads, or other things that have made your week? Comment below, Blaire would like to know! :)

Bookish Feels: Stars Above by Marissa Meyer

My heart broke when the series ended, but luckily Meyer came out with this pretty little thing! Definitely helps with closure.

The Book: The enchantment continues....

The universe of the Lunar Chronicles holds stories—and secrets—that are wondrous, vicious, and romantic. How did Cinder first arrive in New Beijing? How did the brooding soldier Wolf transform from young man to killer? When did Princess Winter and the palace guard Jacin realize their destinies?

With nine stories—five of which have never before been published—and an exclusive never-before-seen excerpt from Marissa Meyer’s upcoming novel, Heartless, about the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, Stars Above is essential for fans of the bestselling and beloved Lunar Chronicles.

--
The Little Android: A retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid,” set in the world of The Lunar Chronicles.
Glitches: In this prequel to Cinder, we see the results of the plague play out, and the emotional toll it takes on Cinder. Something that may, or may not, be a glitch….
The Queen’s Army: In this prequel to Scarlet, we’re introduced to the army Queen Levana is building, and one soldier in particular who will do anything to keep from becoming the monster they want him to be.
Carswell’s Guide to Being Lucky: Thirteen-year-old Carswell Thorne has big plans involving a Rampion spaceship and a no-return trip out of Los Angeles.
The Keeper: A prequel to the Lunar Chronicles, showing a young Scarlet and how Princess Selene came into the care of Michelle Benoit.
After Sunshine Passes By: In this prequel to Cress, we see how a nine-year-old Cress ended up alone on a satellite, spying on Earth for Luna.
The Princess and the Guard: In this prequel to Winter, we see a game called The Princess
The Mechanic: In this prequel to Cinder, we see Kai and Cinder’s first meeting from Kai’s perspective.
Something Old, Something New: In this epilogue to Winter, friends gather for the wedding of the century... (From Goodreads)

My Feels: For me, this book gave me so much closure. I am going to miss these characters, but I'm excited for Meyer's Heartless (so something to look forward to!). If you were madly in love with this series and currently nursing a broken heart, I recommend this to replenish your FEELS.

The big highlight for me was the Something Old, Something New. I really wanted to know what would happen with Kai and Cinder. Though the end of the series wrapped up really well, these short stories were the 'Happily Ever After' vibe I wanted and felt was missing from Winter.

Thorne was also one of my favorite characters in the series, so his short story was just so perfect. SWOON.

Draft One Complete of my WIP: A Different Kind of Universe

So this happened yesterday!

I finished draft one of my WIP. The first completed thing since post Pitch Wars! I had started on another draft in between, but put it aside to work on this baby!

I love jotting down my progress in my writing notebook! So if you're into data, this draft took me 5 working weeks to complete. I say 'working weeks' because I took a two-week break in between for my offer and revisions on my previous MS. So, I'll still consider this my fastest draft despite the intermission ;)

My end word count was 71K, with 38 chapters! I posted a screenshot of my titles for fun. Draft one chapter titles are always key words or phrases to let me know what the scene is about. They will all change by the time I get it to my CP's.

For those who follow my blog, you know my process is typically:

1. Fast Draft
2. Take a break (almost always that means a book binge and getting back into my workouts)
3. Read through the whole thing and come up with a revision plan
4. Revise, revise, revise. Then one more read-through before sending off to CP's.
5. Revise based on CP's feedback
6. Send to Betas
7. Revise & Edit before sending off to agent (this used to be querying)

***steps 1-4 are done in Scrivener, 4-7 I switch to MS word

But now I'm going to try juggling multiple projects! So during my break from this draft, I'm going to start jotting some notes for another story I have my eye on and work on it while I'm waiting for CP's or betas to get back to me. Usually I take a break during this period, but I'm working on conditioning myself to always be writing--even if the story never comes to anything. Any project is something to learn from, and I'm trying to remember that, because even the failed projects helped me get where I am today.

So always be reading and always be writing. Take a break when you need to, but never give up. (This is something I always tell myself, so thought I should share!)

But back to this draft! What did I learn from it?

• A support system is like wings - In all honesty, this draft went by so quickly due to the encouragement and support of my writing friends who always held me accountable, and who inspired me by their own passion for the craft. They lifted me up when I needed it. So thank you Joan, Michella, and Krystal!
• A first draft is a first draft - Nothing is permanent, things can be changed and/or fixed. Give yourself permission to suck. Give yourself permission to not get it right the first time. Get to know your story as you attempt to tell it to yourself. I found that once I got to the end, the characters started to come alive--they showed me who they were, I didn't have to make them. This is their story, and though I am the author, I don't know the whole story. They're still sharing it with me and we're figuring it out as we go.
• Doubt likes to make herself comfortable during this period - I kept going back and forth, wondering if this story was clever or just plain weird. And then I saw deals with similar storylines and wondered if I should even finish. What if it wasn't marketable? Or what if I was wasting my time? Doubt can be so manipulative! So I reminded myself that I shouldn't be worrying about things out of my control. The only thing I can control? Is finishing the draft.

And cheers on that last note, because I did!