Jessica McCarty, Author

  Guys, I have three chapters left! Theoretically, I should be able to tackle these last chapters next week. I will say, though, that I've learned things often take me longer than I expect, and chapter fifty-one is a behemoth . Seriously, it's double the size of a lot of my chapters. After I've finished with edits, I'll read through the entire book to check everything one final time (and fix em dashes in the first half😐) before moving on to formatting, cover design, and publication. Yay! Reading . . . This month, I read So That Happened  by Katie Bailey (Donovan Family, Bk. 1), a grumpy-sunshine romcom that was super cute. And I finally returned to the Hawthorne Brothers series (Jenny Proctor) and read How to Kiss Your Grumpy Boss  (Bk. 2) and How to Kiss Your Enemy (Bk. 3). Somehow, I unintentionally picked three workplace romances . . . and movie star ones for my upcoming blog🙈, with the exception of Beg, Borrow, or Steal by the amazing Sarah Adams. I'll be repe...

 Happy spring, friends!🌞🌱 We've had a lot of rain here in the Hoosier state. It's getting warmer, and things are greening up. I can't wait for sunny days when I can go for walks and start working on my garden. This year, I'm planning to try my hand at container gardening. My garden plot is pretty small to start with. I like things that are straightforward and practical. So, this seems like it might be a good fit. And less weeding! Which is good, because I'm continuing to work through final tweaks for Champion's Sword . I should be done by the end of April. Then I'll move on to formatting, followed by one final read to check for commas and such. I'm looking forward to refilling my creative well and returning to drafting after so long in editing land.😉 Reading . . . This month, I re-read Spells for Forgetting  by Adrienne Young. And I finally got my hands on Ignite  by Kara Swanson. If you've read Champion's Key , you'll understand why this ...

 Tomorrow, I'll begin reading through my entire manuscript, splitting it up into two days. As long as everything flows and sounds cohesive, I'll move on to formatting, spelling and punctuation, and the like. I can't wait to get the conclusion of my duology out into the world, and I'm excited to dive into a new story! However, rather than jump straight into my next book (a fantasy standalone), I'm considering taking some time to fill the creative well and absorb all I can on two of the aspects of the world. They say your second book is harder than your first, and I'm feeling fairly wrung out after this series. But I've learned some things, one being that I don't think I'm built for series. My creative soul wants to make art and then move on to the new, shiny thing.😂I'm also a pantser/discovery writer. I had to do more planning and plotting than I normally do for the sequel. While it was necessary, it sort of bogged down my process. I want to go i...

 We're getting closer, friends! I'm still on track to wrap up line edits by the end of the month. While I'd love to give a release date, I don't know how long my list of to-dos will take. My hope is to possibly release April 1. Stay tuned! Reading . . . Unfortunately, I only have one book to share this month due to starting a couple of books and then setting them aside for different reasons. Currently, I'm slowly working my way through a 500-page nonfiction.😕I did, however, finish a whimsical children's book called Library Girl  by Polly Horvath. It was quite cute & humorous and highly enjoyable. That said, the ending wasn't as light-hearted as I would've liked (although certainly realistic given her situation!). A word of caution, it's my personal opinion that this book should be given to older children and with a brief discussion on the topic of community helpers, namely police. Much of this story circles around the fact that several librarian...

 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 ...