Jessica McCarty, Author

 It's that time again, when I share my favorite reads from the past year! I discovered Sarah Adams and read as many of her books as I could get my hands on, including Practice Makes Perfect , which I read twice. I picked up another book by Seth Grahame-Smith, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter . It had me from the beginning and was so different. I absolutely loved it. Speaking of different, my last pick for 2024 is Assistant to the Villain  by Hannah Nicole Maehrer. I read a lot of conflicting reviews online (honestly, it was about 50/50 that people either loved it or hated it), but I'm glad I gave it a chance. Sunshine character Evie desperately needs income. She ends up working for the Villain after a meet-cute in the woods. This book is cozy, absolutely hilarious, and all kinds of perfect. I can't wait to read the next one! Be sure to share your favorite books from last year on my socials so we can add to our TBRs! Reading . . . I did a lot of re-reading this month, revisit...

  Happy December, friends! I don't know about you, but I drink hot drinks all year round. I love to start my day with coffee and end it with tea. As the weather has turned colder, I've found greater enjoyment in it. There's just something about cozying up with a warm drink. But to be honest, as I've gotten older, a fair amount of the shiny parts of the Christmas season have been overshadowed by the frustration of societal expectations. Less is more, I say. Yet I've realized this isn't about me. Shocker, I know. So, I've set out my few minimalist decorations. I've embraced a tree this year (a tiny Scandinavian-style one, but even so). And strangely, I'm finding that I don't mind the twinkle lights so much this year. Even if the silver garland I placed on the mantle is driving me bonkers. Reading . . . Heir, Apparently  by Kara McDowell The Prince and the Apocalypse, Bk. 2 YA Fiction/Romance Bully Pulpit: Confronting the Problem of Spiritual Abuse ...

  Some things that have been making me happy lately . . . *Townsends on YouTube (18th century cooking) *Finding the smallest leaf on the library steps and turning into a bookmark. *Watching my one-year-old grandsons participate in a baby race at a birthday party. *The bloom sign I zhuzhed for my office. Because GLitTeR. *The photos I printed and hung in our playroom. The grandbebes had the cutest Halloween costumes, and I just 😍😭. Reading . . . All's Fair in Love and Christmas  by Sarah Monzon Christian Romance The anxiety rep in this book is *chef's kiss*. Jeremy and Mackenzie are competing for the same job. Whoever has the most Christmas spirit wins. An all-around good read. Forgiving Our Parents, Forgiving Ourselves  by David Stoop & James Masteller Nonfiction The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams Romance Writing . . . I'm fast approaching the midpoint of line edits. My current weekly goal is three chapters. Music . . . *Song of the Prayer of St. Benedict || Harpa Dei ...

  As of yesterday, I've completed line edits for eleven of fifty-three chapters. While that doesn't sound like a lot, most of my chapters are three to five pages. Theoretically, they should go pretty fast. However, it always takes me ten times as long to do edits as I think it will.🙈😂If I get this book completed by fall, it will be late fall. However, I foresee it being later than that, much to my dismay. But I'd rather push the release out and take the time the story deserves than rush the process. I'll keep everyone posted via the blog and my socials. Reading . . .   I didn't really read anything new in September.  I had at least two books that I started reading but didn't finish.  This year I've been drawn to soft romances and rereading my favorites (of varying genres). I'm not exactly sure why this is. I'm wondering if finding a cozy fantasy or two might help. This month I reread Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young. It has all the fall vibe...

Here it is, the promised sneak peek of Champion's Sword ! Enjoy! Chapter 1 Rose  Dappled sunlight filtered through the limbs of their tree. Briar's lips hovered hers as she breathed him in, leather and pine. His hand caressed her cheek so gently she barely felt it, as if seeking permission. It sent shivers through her. Still, she waited, sensing the pull between them, an ebb and flow of tides that had only strengthened over the last months. He inched closer, a moth drawn to a flame, before his mouth came down on hers.     He drew back, studying her, searching her depths for the answer to his questions. But whatever he was worried about, he pushed it to the side, leaning in to kiss her again.     "Mr. Dylan?" a voice called from somewhere in the garden.     Briar sighed, touching his forehead to hers. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I have to go."     "I know," she whispered back, smiling as warmth rushed into her cheeks.     His fingers...

Champion's Sword , coming   this fall! At the end of July, I applied for my third  copyright! I'm in my first round of content edits, and so far, everything is going smoothly. I'll follow that up with a second round, zeroing in on individual sentences and paragraphs. Then it's spelling and grammar, cover design, and publication! Reading . . . My Lucky Charm by Courtney Walsh Christian Romance Here and Now by Henri J.M. Nouwen Nonfiction The Rule Book by Sarah Adams Romance *Sensitive readers: This book contains language and spice. The author kindly notes this at the beginning of the book. She also lets the reader know what part to skip if you'd like to avoid an open-door scene. Oh, how I wish more authors would do this! The Caged Queen  by Kristen Ciccarelli Iskari, Bk. 2 YA Fantasy I've read this once or twice before. It's just a really good romance and sister story. Loyally, Luke  by Pepper Basham Christian Romance This book reads like a light fantasy (set...

  Last week, on my birthday no less💙, I finished my draft for Champion's Sword . So, this week, I'm taking a bit of a writing break. My word count is just over 80,000 words, which is amazing! I'll be getting back into it soon, starting with listening to the entire draft on read aloud and taking notes. I can't tell you how hard it is to think, "Oh, I could/should [insert fix]," and not  implement it then and there. Perhaps, it's as difficult as having a new story idea that's been percolating for some time. I've been keeping a notebook for said idea and only permitting myself to add to it when a sentence or two hits me out of the blue. I've started a playlist as well. I add songs to it, but I do not  listen to it. Music makes the ideas flow, and pushing play on that ever-growing playlist would be absolute torture.😆      However, I decided that since I'm entering into the editing phase with Sword , it would be okay to dip my toe in with a fe...