February managed to come and go so fast, but I finally feel like I’m hitting my stride this year. The semester is in full swing, I shoveled snow a few times, and I’m finally working in earnest on book 3 of the Reanimator Mysteries series. Let’s recap the goals I had for February and see how it went.
- Put together the elliptical and use it
- Do the bulk of the historical research for The Reanimator Mysteries #3
- Start actually writing The Reanimator Mysteries #3
- Proof any audiobook chapters that come in
- Stay on top of grading
- Blog weekly
- Send out monthly newsletter
- Read 8 books
Books
My goal was to read 8 books, and I managed to read 12! Some were short or graphic novels, but DAMN.
- Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble (#2) by Alexis Hall, 4 stars, a romance-adjacent story about a highly anxious young man, a baking competition, the adorable gay Muslim dude who finds him cute, and the mess he gets himself into (see Goodreads review for some quibbles regarding this book)
- Galatea by Madelline Miller- 4 stars, the story of a statue-turned-human taking back control of her life
- Of Socialites and Prizefights by Arden Powell- 4 stars, a social-climbing woman is cursed by a jilted suitor to turn into a wildcat every night unless she finds true love’s kiss. Turns out that might be a butch mechanic from the other side of the tracks.
- Taproot by Keezy Young- 4 stars, a ghost and a medium bond over plants and try to figure out how to make their otherworldly relationship work, very cute and fluffy
- Shtup Me at Sunrise (#0.5) by Felicia Grossman- 4 stars, the prequel to the Once Upon the East End series, featuring a headstrong woman determined to take her place in a society that has seemingly rejected her
- Ghostland by Colin Dickey- 4 stars, a nonfiction book about how ghost stories come to be and what they say about our society
- Of Honeymoons and Wildcats by Arden Powell- 4 stars, the companion story to Of Socialites and Prizefights where they go off to a cabin and find something very cute
- The Sitcom Star (#1) by Jackie Lau- 4 stars, an overworked TV star and writer accidentally runs into one of her childhood friends who helps her relax and more
- Vampire Forensics by Mark Collins Jenkins, a nonfiction book about how disease and irregular decomposition team up to create vampire legends
- Therapy Game Restart (#1) by Meguru Hinohara- 4 stars, Shizuma and Minato are back to figure out how to navigate their first real relationship along with new jobs and complicated feelings
- A Haunted History of Invisible Women by Leanna Renee Hieber and Andrea Janes- 4 stars, a nonfiction book about how women who live outside the norm become legends and ghost stories
- The Invisible Man & His Soon-to-be Wife (#3) by Iwatobineko- 4 stars, really cute fluffy volume of this manga with good blindness rep
Admin/Behind-the-Scenes Stuff
- Researched about ghosts for book 3
- Researched about the undead for book 3
- Did character sheets for book 3
- Outlined a chunk of book 3
- Helped a former student with their poetry book
- Celebrated my partner’s birthday (more like a bday week since I had to work on their actual bday)
- Stayed on top of grading (mostly)
- Refilled my creative well with tons of reading
- Started learning to cross-stitch
- Began putting together the elliptical (oops)
Blogs
- January 2024 Wrap-Up Post
- Social Media and the Devaluation of the Arts Part 1
- Social Media and the Devaluation of the Arts Part 2
- Reintroducing Myself
- February Newsletter
Writing
This month I decided to refill the well as much as possible and plan out the beginning of book 3 of the Reanimator Mysteries series. While I had hoped that I could start actually drafting it, I’m excited to get started in March. I know where the story is, generally, going and the main threads that the characters will follow. One of the first things I need to figure out before writing a book is how the two main characters’ emotional issues will intertwine and fit with the rest of the outer story. Once I figured that out with Felipe and Oliver, things clicked, especially after I bounced ideas off my partner. The beginnings of stories are the most daunting for me. I’m mostly a discovery writer (who does minimal planning), so there are still so many paths left open at the beginning that I become overwhelmed and get choice paralysis. I know by the halfway point, I’ll be fine, but I know the first act will be done in fits and starts as I figure things out and narrow down the path forward. If you’re interested in what’s going on in book 3, check out the Pinterest board and the playlist I made on Youtube. All vibes are subject to change.
Hopes for March
- Writing at least 20k words of book 3
- Proof any audiobook chapters that come in
- Grade papers but enjoy spring break
- Set up the preorder for book 3
- Do a title reveal for book 3
- Do taxes ;–;
- Read 8 books
- Blog weekly
- Send monthly newsletter
Kara Jorgensen 