I feel like every other month I say, “Damn, that month went fast,” but truly, May went very fast. The first half was taken up by finishing my grading while the second half was taken up by letting my brain quiet before refocusing on my writing project. Since it feels like forever, let’s get reacquainted with our goals for May.
- Write 20,000 words of TRF
- Write the working blurb for TRF
- Maintain my mental health
- Keep working out consistently
- Continue proofing the audiobook of TRR
- Finish grading portfolios
- Send out my May newsletter
- Read 8 books
- Blog weekly
Books
My goal this month was to read 8 books, and I read exactly 8. All links below are affiliate links, so I get a small kickback if you buy from them.
- Death in the Spires by KJ Charles- 5 stars, a mystery that flips back and forth 10 years from when Jem was a student at Oxford when his friend was murdered to the present as he tries to solve the crime and gain control of his life again. It is very queer, rich in texture, and just a fantastic read.
- Tasting History by Max Miller- 4 stars, an interesting cookbook based on the Youtube channel about historical recipes. The recipes themselves are great, but I really love the tidbits about the history behind the recipes. I highly recommend his Youtube channel as well.
- From Bad to Cursed by Lana Harper- 4 stars, opposites collide when two witches have to figure out who hexed someone at a festival. It’s an MF romance in a series with queer couples as well. Rowan and Issa have a complicated past, but seeing them come together is worth a read.
- Lore Olympus (#8) by Rachel Smythe- 5 stars, we’re nearing the end of the series, and this volume was chef kiss. I love seeing Persephone and Hades grow toward each other.
- Saga (#12) by Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples- 4 stars, Hazel is maturing and growing into a teenager, so this volume speaks a lot about PTSD, mental health, and finding where you belong. I love every volume of this series and also hate that the end isn’t that many volumes away.
- The Magus of the Library (#8) by Mitsu Izumi- 4 stars, the young magi have their first encounter with spirits and the villains who want to bring the library to its knees. As always, Theo is just such a cinnamon roll, and this was an action-packed volume.
- The Other World’s Books Depend on a Bean Counter (#1) by Yatsuki Wakatsu- 5 stars, I picked this manga up on a whim and LOVED it. If you like Oliver from my books, you will love the MC. He is an accountant who gets sucked into another world by accident and takes on the accounting in this new world only to become an enemy to someone in high places and catch the eye of a magical knight who saves him from himself.
- The Other World’s Books Depend on a Bean Counter (#2) by Yatsuki Wakatsu- 5 stars, see review above
Admin/Behind-the-Scenes Stuff
- Proofed the entirety of the audiobook for The Reanimator’s Remains (TRM #3)
- Sent corrections and paid my narrator Jack R. R. Evans (they’re awesome)
- Published the audiobook for The Reanimator’s Remains (it is currently trickling out to distributors, libraries and Amazon/Audible will take a few more weeks)
- Wrote the blurb for The Reanimator’s Fate (TRM #4), so keep an eye out for that soon
- Accidentally sent my monthly newsletter out super late in the day
- Finished grading all of the papers and portfolios for my classes
- Sent out a few job applications to non-academic jobs
- Worked out fairly consistently
- Fell very behind on my stitch-a-long project because my mental health dipped a bit
- Rested mid month to avoid burnout/a mental health spiral
- Voted in the NJ democratic primaries by mail (send in your ballots if you have them, early voting starts 6/3)
Blogs
- April 2025 Wrap-Up Post
- 10 Books to Add to your TBR 2025 Edition Part 1
- AI Writers, Please Quit
- Weighing My Options
- May newsletter
Writing
I think I have finally found my footing with this draft. Halle-friggin-luah. Last month I mentioned that I had to scrap the draft I had because I just didn’t like the direction it was going or the tone. It wasn’t working, and sometimes, it is better to start over than torture yourself by trying to force something that just isn’t going to end well. Scrapping it was the right choice, but it put me behind. That, of course, gave me anxiety, which made it harder to write and led me to falling more behind. You can see how this can cause a downward spiral. I took a small break, got my brain shit together, and restarted my book. Now, it’s flowing much better. I have a clearer direction of where I need to go, what the characters are doing, etc. It’s especially hard when you know it’s the last book in a series and you want to make it extra spectacular for your readers. The most important thing is that I am back on track and cruising along at a slow but steady clip (as the beginning always is). When I get further along, I will post the preorder and all the relevant information for this book, so stay tuned.
Hopes for June
- Write at least 20,000 words of The Reanimator’s Fate (TRM #4)
- Try to write every single day at least a little to be consistent
- Get the audiobook for The Reanimator’s Remains (TRM #3) out everywhere
- Maintain my mental health and balancing my writing and hobbies to avoid burnout
- Catch up on my stitch-a-long
- Exercise consistently
- Read 8 books
- Blog weekly
- Send out my monthly newsletter
- Enjoy my 20th anniversary with my partner
Kara Jorgensen 