March: A Month Of Rain, Renewal, And Reading.

The renewal of my bookish ways is freeing. There are countless reasons I stopped book blogging (some make sense, others not so much). None of the reasons matter now. Because I'm moving forward! And it is everything. Here are a few highlights!

On My E-Reader:

I'm in love with my new blog feature On My E-Reader. There are so many amazing books on my kindle I haven't read yet! The first two books I shared Marianne Hansen's The Unscripted Life of Lizzy Dillinger and Ainsley Wynter's  Kissed at Midnight (The Lost Royals) are debut novels I'm bonkers excited about. If you haven't checked them out, what are you waiting for?! Do. It.

Beta Reading:

Over the last few months I have beta read some great stories. Currently, I’m reading Lisa Shambrook’s The Seren Stone (book one of The Seren Stone Chronicles). It’s high fantasy at its best: dragons, mysterious stones, adorable talking not-lizards, and so much more. That I obviously can’t talk about since I’m beta reading and the book isn’t out yet. But I’d recommend following the lovely Lisa on Twitter and Instagram and all the places for publishing news and cover reveals and all the awesome to come!

The Reaper's Bride:

Speaking of beta reading, last month I beta read Angie Richmond's debut novel The Reaper's Bride. You. Guys. It's so good. You want it on your to read list! Angie posted the book blurb on her website this weekend (alongside a quick Twitter review I wrote for The Reaper's Bride). Check out the book blurb here and watch for a full review of The Reaper's Bride (book one of The Reaper's Chronicles) on my blog in May 2019!

The Wicked King:

In more reading news: This weekend, I finished The Wicked King by Holly Black (book two of The Folk of the Air series). It's brutal and heartfelt and had me on the edge of my seat. If you're looking for a YA fairy fantasy that will leave you speechless look no further.

Looking Ahead!

There's so much bookish awesome to look forward to this year. From novels I can't wait to read (the final Caraval book, anyone?) to my writing (subscribe to my newsletter to stay up to date!) returning to my bookworm roots was a longtime coming. And it has not only inspired me, but helped me remember why I love writing and reading and yes, even publishing!

What books did you read this month? Got a favorite?

Is there a novel coming out later this year you're excited about?

On My E-reader: Kissed at Midnight (The Lost Royals)

This month's On My E-reader pick is by debut author Ainsley Wynter! A Golden Heart finalist and all around lovely person online, Ainsley's gorgeous cover had me at hello.

Book Description: Princess Sidony of L'Ortagia serves as the queen's hostess, leaving affairs of state to her sister Zara. During a masquerade ball, Sidony kisses a handsome stranger only to discover he's Prince Adrian of Embury, a man with a fearsome reputation and the emissary sent to arrange her sister's marriage. Worried her actions will damage the budding alliance, she convinces Adrian to forget the incident...even if she cannot.

Adrian roots out traitors in his uncle's kingdom of Embury using his magical abilities. When he's sent to arrange a wedding for his cousin, a kiss in the moonlight gives him a taste of what he's been missing. Sidony is everything his life is not: laughter, warmth, and passion. But the king maintains an unbreakable hold over him, hiding his family in exchange for Adrian's loyalty to the crown.

After Zara disappears on the eve of the royal wedding, Adrian's orders are to stay and maintain the alliance with L'Ortagia. But Sidony's effect on his powers and his heart becomes too strong to deny. When he has a chance to rescue his family and throw off his royal ties, will he take it, knowing he'll have to leave Sidony? Or will the dark prince abandon his past to be with the one woman who brought his cold heart to life?

Reasons I bought it: They say never judge a book by its cover. And I honestly rarely do. But this one caught my eye and held me hostage. The colors are gorgeous. Plus are they standing in a magic forest?! So yes, in this case, it was the cover that first made me check out the book. Then I read the description and thought: yes, yes, yes, please. Finally I took a gander at the author's bio which states she "writes steamy fantasy romance." Which got me singing: "these are a few of my favorite things!" Buying this novel was a no-brainer. I am looking forward to sitting down very soon and reading this novel in one sitting. Thank you very much.

Check out Ainsley Wynter on Twitter, Instagram, and her website.

Pick up your copy of this beautiful novel on Amazon and other major retailers!

Have you read Kissed at Midnight?

Did you review it?

If so, share it with me! I'd love to hear your thoughts.

A Book Review: Wind Chime Café

This month's book review is USA Today bestselling author Sophie Moss's Wind Chime Café. Wind Chime Café is the first book in the lovely Wind Chime series. I adore this book. Here's why!

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Book Description: When single mother Annie Malone purchases a quirky Main Street café on Heron Island, she thinks she’s finally turned her dream of opening her own restaurant into a reality. Hearing rumors that a developer is about to build a five-star resort on the sleepy Chesapeake Bay island, she plans to transform the café into a premier upscale bistro. But Annie’s life is about to get a lot more complicated.

Back on Heron Island for the first time in ten years, Navy SEAL Will Dozier has no intention of selling his grandparents’ property to a developer. As he works on renovating the house and trying to find another buyer, he’s forced to face a painful reality—that he’s secretly struggling with PTSD. Determined to hide his troubles from the rest of the islanders, Will decides that a fling with the new girl is the perfect way to help him “get his head straight.”

The last thing Will expects is to fall in love…with his hometown and with Annie. But Will’s life and career are in San Diego with the SEALs. Can Annie’s love and the healing magic of the island be enough to convince him to stay?

Ang's Review: Ms. Moss’s Wind Chime Café is a bittersweet story of healing, forgiveness, and bravery.

Her novel is about real people, going through real struggles, and trying to help one another heal. While the love story between Annie and Will is beyond swoon-worthy, this novel is not limited to their interaction. Most if not all the characters within the book are treated with respect and given a chance to grow and move forward. Taylor and Will learn to trust one another and create a lasting bond. Will reaches out to Colin and they find common ground after years of friendship and heartache. Della becomes the support that Annie had been lacking all her life. And don’t get me started on Riley the dog and her faithfulness to Taylor.

All the relationships were skillfully intertwined—each given time to develop and expand into real lasting bonds. Weaved into the story is a gorgeous setting and a touch of magic that sets it apart from your average boy meets girl, boy and girl have issues, boy and girl work out issues and fall in love. This was exactly the right book at exactly the right time. It gets two very enthusiastic thumbs up from me!

Pick up your copy on Amazon and other major retailers today!

And while you're at it, check out the next two books in this wonderful series:

Wind Chime Summer and Wind Chime Wedding.

Ang's Top Five Books She Never Makes Time For

My to read list keeps growing, meaning many books I’d like to read get forgotten. Some poor books (like a few I'm about to share) have been on my to read list for almost three decades. Today's post is a little different! I'm going to share the title, cover, and the book description. But alas there's no review.

Since today's list is the top five books I never make time for. The books that have been on my to read list forever. 

Till We Have Faces by C. S. Lewis

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In this timeless tale of two mortal princesses- one beautiful and one unattractive- C.S. Lewis reworks the classical myth of Cupid and Psyche into an enduring piece of contemporary fiction. This is the story of Orual, Psyche's embittered and ugly older sister, who posessively and harmfully loves Psyche. Much to Orual's frustration, Psyche is loved by Cupid, the god of love himself, setting the troubled Orual on a path of moral development. Set against the backdrop of Glome, a barbaric, pre-Christian world, the struggles between sacred and profane love are illuminated as Orual learns that we cannot understand the intent of the gods "till we have faces" and sincerity in our souls and selves.

The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe

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With The Mysteries of Udolpho, Ann Radcliffe raised the Gothic romance to a new level and inspired a long line of imitators. Portraying her heroine's inner life, creating a thick atmosphere of fear, and providing a gripping plot that continues to thrill readers today, The Mysteries of Udolpho is the story of orphan Emily St. Aubert, who finds herself separated from the man she loves and confined within the medieval castle of her aunt's new husband, Montoni. Inside the castle, she must cope with an unwanted suitor, Montoni's threats, and the wild imaginings and terrors that threaten to overwhelm her.

In The Shade Of Spring Leaves by Higuchi Ichiyo

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Higuchi Ichiyo, Japan's first woman writer of stature in modern times, was born in 1872 and died at the age of twenty-four. In her brief life she wrote poems, essays, short stories and a great, multivolume diary. This book is made up of a critical biography, interlaced with extracts from the diary, and Robert Danly's translations of nine representative stories. 

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

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A classic novel of romantic suspense finds the second Mrs. Maxim de Winter entering the home of her mysterious and enigmatic new husband and learning the story of the house's first mistress, to whom the sinister housekeeper is unnaturally devoted.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

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Seconds before the Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out-of-work actor.

What books on your to read list keep getting pushed off?
Do you find they’re older books like me?
Or do you focus on your back list and push off newer novels?