Is it the end of June already? For me, it’s been a month full of twists and turns and at times an emotional roller coaster for lots of reasons, personal and professional. However, I managed to sneak in lots of writing and reading and connected with fantastic writers across the writing community.

Here are a few highlights:

♦ READING

My plan is always to try and read four books every month, but finding time is always a challenge so I managed only three absolutely amazing books.

Below are my one-liners and a huge recommendation to read these if you haven’t already.

♣ EXCUSE ME WHILE I UGLY CRY (YA Contemporary)

Fantastic writing, leap-off-the-page chemistry, a gem of a book! ❤

♣ THE GILDED ONES (YA Fantasy)

Bold, suspenseful, and beautifully written! ❤

♣ LEGENDBORN (YA Contemporary Fantasy)

A brilliant read filled with everything I love: magic, myth, and romance! ❤

♦ WRITING

YA Paranormal Romance

I self-edited about half of my YA Paranormal Romance (this story started as a dream but once I penned it, it’s grown into something else, something beautiful (I hope). I also changed the working title to one that I’m super excited about. When I mentioned the new title to my daughter (since she’s kinda the target audience), she was like, “Yesss, I’d read that!”

So, I’m keeping that title for now.

YA Contemporary Fantasy

I also wrote about 10k words of a potential sequel to my YA Contemporary Fantasy (the book of my heart for many reasons) so I could perhaps stay inside my characters’ heads and their world for a little longer…

YA Contemporary Romance

I self-edited (for the umpteenth time) my YA Contemporary WIP (the story actually started as a conversation between my husband and me, then it evolved)… I considered adding a hint of magic and decided not to. For now, I think the story works as is…

YA Contemporary Fantasy/Thriller

I procrastinated… a lot, and I mean a lot about this YA heist novel… but also somehow plotted inside my head. I’m a pantser but I know this story must have the right pacing first time, or it’ll come crumbling down. So, I’m thinking a little more before I scribble too much. Saying that I wrote a few scenes…and I’m not hating them…yet.

The story is a YA fantasy/thriller/romance genre mashup weaved with spirits, mythology, and a whole load of twists and turns. And t’s my Achilles heel. That’s why I’m taking my time. I don’t know if I’ll pull it off, but if I manage, it’ll be…everything.

Hope you had a lovely and productive June too!

Happy Reading,

Lorraine