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I wasn't sure when I began my transition to WordPress whether or not I would continue here with more personal posts. At this point in time, all posts are being made there. Thanks for sticking with me and I hope to see you there!

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No Feature Friday

Well...it's Friday, and I don't know how that happened.

I've been very busy reading, and enjoying what I'm reading, but none of it has been published (yet) and I can't share. So yeah. See you next week!

Julia

Also, don't forget to check out byersediting.wordpress.com

Mindful Monday - Update, Diversity in a WIP

So a while back, I wrote this post on how I don't feel like I have the right to write about another culture.

I'm constantly expanding the number of people I follow on Twitter, there are just so many with something to say that resonate with me! Or make me think! And I realize now how very cowardly that previous post was. In fact, I think I kind of knew there was something wrong with it, but sometimes we need distance to see such errors, and an honesty which honestly can be hard to come by.

So I don't know how to portray a PoC (person/people of color), what does that mean? That I have research to do and conversations to engage in. And if I ever get to a point where I can use beta readers or critique partners, I need to engage with some who identify with that character, so they can tell me what is offensive, what I got wrong, and--hopefully--something that maybe I got right. I can't let the fear of being utterly wrong stop me from trying, and learning in the process.

There are people on Twitter who offer themselves up to answer questions about their sexuality/disabilities/culture/everything, go find them if you have questions. Someone tweeted a link to Diversity Cross-Check, and while I haven't spent much time perusing it yet, it seems like a place where it may be possible to connect with others willing to answer questions.

No, I'm not going to take down my original post where I display, for the world, my ignorance. No, I'll leave it as a reminder to myself that there is always growth and learning to be done.

Let's try not to let our ignorance reinforce plaguing stereotypes. In today's time, our resources are unlimited, and so is our potential.

Until next time,
Julia

Don't forget to check out my latest adventure: byersediting.wordpress.com!

Feature Friday - Sub Melts!

My husband and I really enjoy eating at Subway, but it seems ridiculous to pay so much for a sandwich. Often times I wind up making comparable sandwiches at home, so I thought I would share one of our favorites.

What's really great about this is it is totally custom to what we like! Actually, I came upon this as a mix of my standard sub-sandwich making and the accident of not being able to find the right bread. You see, the grocery store I usually go to has a great bakery, but sometimes their sandwich rolls are a bit tough, and I wasn't up for that. So I was in the bread aisle, looking for pre-packaged sub/steak rolls, when I came upon some hawaiian bread hamburger buns. I just knew this had to be good!

I get my meat inspiration from the Subway Melt: ham, turkey, and bacon. I like the already cooked, just heat it up bacon because I don't have to bother with cooking it before the rest of the stuff. Choose whatever meats you like!

Choose a cheese!

Choose your veggies! (I'm the only one here who'll eat them, so I just don't bother, I hate for things to go to waste.)

Choose a condiment!

Are you ready for this?

Ingredients

 Gather your ingredients. Set your oven to broil and let it get nice and toasty while you prepare.

Prepared for the oven!

Put the bottom half of the rolls/buns/bread you've chosen on a cookie sheet (I line mine with foil because they really need to be replaced, but I'm too cheap for that...). Layer on your chosen deli/lunch meats, and top with the precooked bacon.

Pop it in the oven.

Waiting for their turn.

Don't walk away! The bottoms will only be in there a few minutes! While they are warming up, place your favorite cheese on the tops of the rolls/buns/bread you've chosen. I like cheddar and husband likes swiss, and these are super-convenient for pleasing everyone! I fold my cheese up like this to fit on the buns.

In you go!

 When the meats are warmed through and the bacon is just about right, slide the bottoms out of the oven, and add the tops.

Pop them back in the oven, but only long enough to melt the cheese!

Add your toppings and...

Hot and melted goodness.

Voila!

Transfer to plates and add toppings/condiments.

Enjoy!

And don't forget to turn off the oven. ;-)

Sub Melts

All of these are just options, choose whatever flavors fit your liking!

Ingredients (as pictured):

• Bread/buns -Hawaiian hamburger buns
• Lunch/deli meat - turkey, ham, and pre-cooked bacon
• Cheese - cheddar, swiss
• Veggies - if you like
• Condiments - mustard, mayo

Preparation:

• Heat oven to broil.
• Place the bottom half of chosen bread on a baking sheet. Stack lunch meat on the bread, top with bacon.
• Place baking sheet in warm oven until meats are warmed and bacon is hot.
• Place cheese on top halves of the bread.
• Put the cheesy tops on the baking sheet.
• Place baking sheet back in oven. Don't walk away! Keep a close eye, and remove once cheese has melted.
• Top with your choice of veggies and condiments.
• Enjoy!

I hope you enjoy these as much as we do, and I'll be sharing my "pizza sub" recipe once I make it again (so that I can have pics).

Julia

Don't forget to check out my latest adventure: byersediting.wordpress.com!

Mindful Monday - Quick update

It's Monday!

Yeah, I know, "hooray," right?

Well all this trying to adjust to a new job and all that didn't go so well, and we realized that it wasn't the right fit for me or our family, so I am back to being a stay-at-home mom again. That's a real reason to cheer!!! The decision was not made without much deliberation, but I am glad that it worked out the way it has.

This is not to say I'm not doing anything. My dream for a long time now has been to be an editor. I kept coming up with all the reasons I couldn't try to do it on my own yet, but they fell flat. The only thing holding me back is myself. So, I've begun my freelance editing career, and you can check it out at byersediting.wordpress.com, and I really hope you do!

Thanks for stopping by!
Until next time,

Julia

Feature Friday - "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell

Last week I began listening to an audiobook version of Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell. I fell in love immediately. An unexpected pleasure was that there were two very good narrators, a female for Eleanor's sections and a male for Park's. I admit that I really enjoyed this because sometimes I'm a speedy reader, especially if I'm reading solely for enjoyment, and I am no stranger to missed visual cues, so they saved me that trouble. Now, onto the story itself! Click here for info on Amazon.

The story is set in 1986, and Eleanor is the new girl at school. Park lets her sit with him on the bus that first day, and over time they develop a relationship that is unlike anything either of them have ever known. It starts by them sharing the bus seat. Then Park realizes Eleanor is reading his comics. Then they start to share music, and things continue to build from there. Eleanor is scared to let Park know just how bad things are at home, but she comes to rely on him, on the memory of him, to get her through the nights filled with the cries of her mother and days filled with bullying at school.

What I loved:

• Both Eleanor and Park had a unique voice, their own lens with which they viewed the world. This made for interesting moments when the view switched back and forth quickly, to see what they were thinking or how they were feeling, and what was different between the two. This also made it very distinct who was thinking what. I also just absolutely loved them both!
• Their wit!
• The story felt so genuine, I was sucked in immediately and it was hard to come back from. 
• The supporting characters felt just as real as Eleanor and Park did.
• Eleanor's reference to Dicey Tillerman (Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt).
• THE FEELS!

What I didn't like:

• I can't think of anything that I didn't really like. There were elements of the story that I wish weren't a part of this world in general, but they are, and they were presented really well.

Other:

• While the language didn't bother me, a family member is a middle school librarian, so I keep that in mind when reading YA. Probably not acceptable for a middle-school library, in case you were wondering.
• I think that someone who was a teenager in this time would probably like the references to the music, but I have to admit that I'm a failure in terms of pop-culture, so I had to take them at the value presented in the book.

Should you read this? Yes, but you need a certain amount of "emotional bandwidth" (as S. would say) available.

Until next time,

Julia

Mindful Monday - The Contract of a Job

With the SCOTUS ruling on marriage equality, there has been resistance by those who issue marriage licenses to do so. And this brings to mind something I was thinking about a couple of months ago as I underwent the interview process for the job I have. They asked me about a time when I disagreed with something I was told to do. I've never really been the rebellious type, usually do as I'm told, no qualms about it. But it got to me to thinking, and here's the more pronounced answer/opinion that I have for the next time I go through that: when you accept a job, you are signing a contract between yourself and the employer that you will perform the duties described.  If you are worried that the position may have you compromising your morals/ethics, perhaps you need to explore that further before signing on. Now if the company is asking you to do something illegal, there's probably a procedure to fix that. But when it comes to a matter of conscience, that's up to you, especially if it is going to keep you from performing your duties. I think this is especially true for those who work for the public. If you have qualms about being able to carry out the duties you were selected for, then get out and let someone who doesn't have those qualms serve the public. It is not your religion that stops you, it is your prejudice. Your religion has not stopped you from issuing marriage licenses to those who are or will become thieves, racists, terrorists, murderers, arsonists, pedophiles, sex-offenders, and more; it shouldn't stop you from marrying couples that have come together in love to partake of their rights--that's discrimination.

/end rant

Until next time,
Julia

Feature Friday - Jamberry Nail Wraps!

Ok, if you follow me on Twitter you probably know by now of my newest fascination: Jamberry Nail Wraps. You heat them up, stick them on, and have beautiful nails forever! (Ok, so I've been too impatient to let them go longer than about 11 or so days...they're still going strong when I take them off.) Here are some pics of mine so far:

Current: KaBoom, in honor of July 4!

Digiscan

Swept Away

I didn't know how popular these are because I live under a rock, but I bet someone you know either is or has a consultant. Totally worth a try!

Mindful Monday - Engage!

I've really been enjoying engaging with the community of readers/writers/authors/editors on Twitter.

Since doing this, I've been privileged enough to beta-read for some folks I really enjoy, and hear people's stories that range from eerily-similar to worlds-apart from mine. Sometimes they make me feel like my dream of being an editor is a little less like a fantasy than I once thought it was. They are some of the most supportive and courageous people I've encountered, and I adore them.

Feature Friday - Friday Phrases

Yaayy it's Friday!!!

So, there's something I've really been enjoying the last couple of weeks, on Fridays. It is called Friday Phrases, #FP for short. @FridayPhrases posts the topic for the day on Friday (and I really enjoy that for me, this comes along late on Thursday night and I can ruminate while on my way to sleep), and the challenge is to tell a story/poem/what have you in one tweet, on Friday. There's also a website where they collect their favorites, http://www.friday-phrases.com/, and have information for submissions to a book being worked on. ((Let's all admit there's more I could say, but typed this at like 1 in the morning...so...yeah.))

I'm really enjoying participating, and seeing what all people come up with. It's fun, and gets my gears going a little bit :)

Some faves from today (so far--I'd feature older ones but I'm being a bit lazy with searching back for them):

#FP “How are you?” they ask, unseeing. “Fine,” she forces a smile. She pushes back the thousand screams that threaten to emerge, choking her

— ⚓️Kendra⚓️ (@KendraCP) June 26, 2015

On that very hill our last warriors faced the empire. It was a hopeless fight, but those thousand battle cries will echo in eternity. #fp

— Signy (@SignyTheSage) June 26, 2015

#FP Her friends were gone and she was alone in the catacombs. The smell of death lingered, so did a thousand screams echoing from long ago.

— Victoria de Lucia (@luciadevic) June 26, 2015

Her throat unleashes A thousand screams once silenced Arrows dipped in truth #FP #haiku #recovery #nolongersilent

— Jenn R-J (@jennfel) June 26, 2015

Here are some of my own #FPs that are my faves:

When it's *really* time to talk, that's when she's filled w/ silence. No one'd understand if she bared her soul, so she covers it in gab #fp

— Julia (@byersj09) June 19, 2015

The last call to board the plane made her heart quicken with excitement and fear. She hesitated, was she really going through with this? #fp

— Julia (@byersj09) June 12, 2015

When she looked at him, she saw red. It was their love, their anger, their joy, their pain, their beginning & their end. #fp @FridayPhrases

— Julia (@byersj09) June 5, 2015

Ozone ablaze, she now understood the warnings of old, the end was upon them. #FP

— Julia (@byersj09) May 29, 2015

A thousand screams would be more preferable than the angry silence you're forcing me to endure as the world crumbles around us. #fp

— Julia (@byersj09) June 26, 2015

Mindful Monday - Am I doing the right thing?

So it starts with this:

Kid knows how to break my heart: "Mommy, could you stay home with me everyday like you used to?" 😢😭😭😭💔

— Julia (@byersj09) June 22, 2015

and suddenly I'm back to square one, asking myself if it is really worth it to work, even a part-time job that has me away from home the least amount of time possible. I know I'm just being emotional, there's no way I can continue to not work now that I'm finished with school. And I'll be honest, I do like having a job. I like having the structure and the assignment and every Friday, I like a little thing called a paycheck (as little as it sometimes seems). This job was like the answer to my worries: during the school year my son only has to be away from either myself or my husband for all of two, maybe three hours; I'm not making much, but it's just enough to ease the stress about money; and a big bonus that it isn't retail. But I do miss my little boy as I sit in my cubicle answering emails and phone calls, wondering if I'm doing the right thing.

So there you have it, that's what's on my mind today. When I chose to go back to work, I was certain I was making the right decision, and with one sweet and sleepy statement, all my certainty has been destroyed.

Feature Friday - "Defining Love" by Elizabeth Reyes

I'll be honest, I feel like I'm cheating a bit here because I published this review on Goodreads and Amazon a couple of weeks ago. But I really enjoyed the read and so here is what I thought of Defining Love by Elizabeth Reyes. This review is for all three volumes together, since I read almost all of them in one night (and finished one hour the next).

I picked up "Defining Love" with my Kindle Unlimited, and I'm glad I did. I've read many of the 5th Street and Moreno Brothers' stories, and I just keep coming back. I would say that in comparison to those which are related to each other, these are not (yet--will they be?) tied into other stories. That was a little bit refreshing for me. Also, while I still felt Aaron would be considered "alpha," it seemed played down a bit, which worked well with the story. Along those lines, most of the "sexy" scenes are closer to the end, and a bit played down as well. I think these were good things for Henri and Aaron's story, as their's was such an emotional journey.

I really enjoyed Henri's resiliency, and I think that made her moments of weakness so much more poignant. There's one particular scene where she is explaining to Aaron what is wrong with her and as a reader it was so emotional and even visceral to watch her deal with her demons.

I think really one of my favorite things about this story is how the characters know one thing but act like another. It reminds me of real life, when you know one thing in your head but you keep holding out hope in your heart that what your head knows just isn't true. I know this was a source of conflict for the characters, and it was done really well. I think too often we get to see the "noble" character who always uses their head and nips any problems right when they arise. But here, it is the combination of hope and fear that keeps the characters from taking action, and like I said, this was really well done and as such, one of my favorite components of the story because hey--those characters aren't perfect and noble.

I also appreciated how, as I suspect is intended by the title, different types of "love" are realized, as well as the difference in loving someone and being in love with someone.

Mindful Monday - Define Your Own Success

When my friends from high school started graduating from college a few years ago (and a couple of years before me), I realized I could not hold myself to society's definition of "success."

To me that definition is: no more than 4 (maybe 5) years in college pursuing a bachelors degree, an immediate or near-immediate entry into a career or grad-school, and financial gain, etc., or maybe that's just what I thought success was for so long because that is what I remember thinking success was when I was a teenager looking forward to my future.

So when I started seeing graduation announcements for friends, I looked at myself and my life and I wasn't unhappy. No, I didn't (yet) have a bachelors or even an associates degree. No, I hadn't found my calling and I was still working retail. But I was satisfied with where I was. At that point in my life I was already happily married, a homeowner, and on my way to being a mom. I felt satisfied with my choices and where I was, and I took it upon myself to assert that there is more than one type of success. That it has more to do with how happy you are with your life choices than where you stand in comparison to everyone else. So, in short, as I texted to a friend who was feeling like they were unaccomplished in comparison to her friends,

 "Success doesn't come only in numbers defined by others, you have to define it for yourself!"

Until next time,

Julia

No Feature Friday

Well I haven't really read anything [that I can share] this week, and somehow it's Friday already, and I've really dropped the ball! Seriously my schedule has become so wacky with my adjustments to working (and it's only part time)!

So, go have fun! What are you doing here?

Enjoy your weekend!

Julia

Mindful Monday - Politics?

Politics is generally something I steer clear of. It is generally something that overwhelms me and I always feel is so exaggerated I'm not sure I ever know what's "real" in that realm. But there is something that recently passed in Texas, my home state, that just feels wrong to me.

There are cities that have in the past year or so passed bans on oil/gas fracking within their city limits. Their citizens put these bans to vote and passed them. A wonderful way to exercise their freedoms in decisions that effect their immediate ecology and economy, right?

Well then, some months afterwards, here comes lawmakers in the state of Texas that say, statewide, cities can't ban fracking. This just stinks to me. It isn't as though the city(ies) have banned healthcare or growing sustainable food or the sale of bandages or something like that. It is something that as a group they came together to say "we don't want this controversial operation in our city." This seems like a perfectly acceptable and right usage of their abilities, and then the state comes along and squashes it!? Outrageous! 

Those are my two cents, take it or leave it, just doesn't seem right to me.

Until next time,
Julia

**Since writing this the state has also passed (and I think waiting on Gov. signature) that guns can now be open-carry in public, and closed-carry on college campuses. Not sure how I feel about those yet.

**Also, I know it's not all as cut-and-dry as this, but these are the things that stick with me and evoked my thoughts.

Feature Friday - Anuna

As my son would say, "Yay! It's Friday!" He already knows, at the age of three, that Friday is a day worth celebrating :)

So my feature today is the beautiful choral group Anuna, based in Ireland. My husband and I have had the CD The Best of Anuna for a while, and I've always loved it. I've been listening to it in the car a bit and am always struck by its beauty, no matter how many times I've heard it. No matter that a lot of the songs are either partially or fully sung in what I believe is Gaelic, they resonate nonetheless. I listen and I see ancient cathedrals with stained glass windows that echo the haunting melodies of the ladies and resound the deep bass of the male singers. I see fields with workers and mysterious green forests and villages and the sea and it all is surreal and magical. I feel longing and joy, grieving and acceptance, foreboding and excitement. It's all in my head but it's magic, brought about by the crystal clear sound of their beautiful voices. As you can imagine, with all these visions running through my head, listening is great idea fuel for the characters in my head.

So I'm listening to this beauty and then I need to change to the radio, because I need to hear the traffic to determine if I'm going the best way to get to work. Do you have any idea how grating that was on my ears to change to? Ah, it was terrible! I mean, usually I don't mind the radio music too much--although I don't often listen to it as I'd prefer the non-commercial CDs I've heard at least a thousand times--but after listening to voices that reverberate through my body and very nearly take me to a spiritual place, today's music is just noise.

If I ever get the chance to see them live, I want to! My husband was fortunate enough to hear and meet some of them one day years ago while he was working in a bookstore where they put on a small performance.

Until next time,
Julia

Mindful Monday - About a WIP & Race

Well, all of my works are "in progress," but one day, what if one is actually out there?

I pretend, sometimes, that I'm answering questions about my process and inspirations and what not. This is one of those things.

When I started this project, it was a completely different idea than what it has become. I had been doing a lot of mind-numbing alpha-male-romance reading, and when I started out thinking about this story, that's kind of what I had in mind. Boy did the characters have a different idea. As I thought about the whys and hows of the characters, I realized quickly that my story would (hopefully) not fall into that same category. *I would like to say I don't think there is anything wrong with that category, as I just admitted to reading it...*

The MC is a young woman who is also a single mom. When I first started, I thought her child might be mixed-race, so the MC has to deal with the strange looks she gets in the store and what not. And then I gave that some thought...

While the story is supposed to be about this young woman, there is a part of her past that leads her to where she is, and I realized I didn't want to further the stereotype that would leave a young woman alone with a mixed-race child. Because, you know, someone would point that out. I'm not afraid of criticism, but I'm not a fan of offending someone for being thoughtless, either.

I will also say up-front that I do not have any kind of experience which would allow me to enter into, or enter my work into, a conversation of culture that is not white or mostly-white. When it comes to values and beliefs, yes there are differences between cultures and even within the same cultures, no matter if they are in the same neighborhood or a world away. I've not lived enough outside of my own culture to pretend I have the right to write about another. So if in my (non-fantasy) writing my MCs are lacking in racial/cultural diversity, that does not come from an idea of better-ness, but out of respect and knowledge that there are things I just wouldn't get right, I just wouldn't be able to portray--regardless of how empathetic and understanding I might be--, because no matter how much research or observation I might make, I will always be an outsider looking in, imposing my ideas onto what I'm reading/seeing/hearing, even if I think I get it.

I'm not without my own conflict about the above paragraph, because doesn't that mean that I'm also in an ideal place to enter into that conversation? Or at least host it? That privileged place where I can have a conversation and create a safe place for others, who are qualified through their experience to talk about things I can not? But how does one do that?

So there are the two exactly conflicting things on my mind, and the bearing they've had so far on this particular project.

Until next time,
Julia

Feature Friday: "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" by Jenny Han

Sometime over the course of the past couple of weeks, I read To All the Boys I've Loved Before, by Jenny Han.

Image from http://www.dearjennyhan.com/teen.html

I thought the concept was interesting, and I guess I've been seeing it around since P.S. I Still Love You comes out in a few days. Also, it was available from my library on Overdrive.

As much as the title hints about being in love with boys, I found this story to be just as much about Lara Jean's relationships with herself and her family members. All of their lives are changing, Margot is leaving for Scotland to go to college, and she's been the rudder for the family since their mom died years ago. Lara Jean has to take the helm, and while perhaps she's not quite as organized as her older sister, things seem to work out. Perhaps the family relationships stick out to me because I related with Lara Jean more on the level of caring about her dad and missing her mom than anything to do with the boys. She's discovering how to think of things and do things for herself, without Margot to guide her, and I think Lara Jean is learning and acknowledging that. 

Honestly, I expected a little more humor from the love-letter situation. I didn't care much for Peter (I don't think you're supposed to), but I also wasn't over-the-moon for Josh. I think Han did a good job of capturing the conflicting emotions of teenage love (or at least teenage like), and Lara Jean is in an interesting position to experience an extra layer of conflict, because her relationship isn't real. Or is it? seems to be the question.

Overall I found this a mostly light and enjoyable read, and if I get a chance I'll probably pick up the next in the series just to see what happens.

Until next time!
Julia

Mindful Monday - A Little Quiet

It's been a little quiet here the past couple of weeks. I've started a new job, and let's just say I am still adjusting to waking up before the sun rises. Once I get into that habit, I enjoy it, but until then I drag all day.

I'm certain I had something to be mindful about, but my brain is slush.  I'll definitely have something to feature soon, though!

Julia

Feature Friday - Empath by S. Usher Evans

In honor of next week's release, this week's Feature Friday features S. Usher Evans' Empath (follow link for description/pre-order).

Cover Image taken from Amazon.com

First of all I'm happy to say that I read this, being that I've kind of gotten into a reading slump for the past month or so, with other things going on. There are lots of things I want to read, but sometimes I just don't feel like I have the mental capacity to do so. If I'm stressed or anxious I can't concentrate and that seems like a waste of the author's talent. I'm very happy to report that I had no problem focusing with this book, and it may have been just the reading-medicine I've been needing.

Empath is about Lauren, a modern-day girl with dragon-sized heartbreak and anxiety, literally. When she hears a voice that offers to take away that pain, it is irresistible temptation. Transported from the hum-drum of her life and mind-numbing job, she finds herself in a world where mud can be magic, dragons terrorize the village, and washing machines are nowhere to be found. What starts out as simply a quest to get home becomes a quest to gain control of her thoughts, emotions, and fears, and ultimately find release from the hell she's been trapped in. The Anghenfil, the anxiety-dragon of lore, is with Lauren every step of the way, promising that oh-so-tempting easy way out. 

Evans' writing has your heart hurting right there with Lauren, and you want her to find happiness just as you would for a dear friend or even yourself. The depiction of depression and anxiety is accurate and done with much care, and while some very important issues are touched on, they are executed most thoughtfully and left me in tears more than once. 

The writing was beautiful, the adventure was fun to tag along with, and the feels were over the top. Definitely a recommended read.

S. Usher Evans' image

***THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS SPOILERS, written in white text on white background, click and highlight to read***

I really love how the stereotype of the post break-up love interest is broken here. Instead of happily ever-after, here is a young woman who eventually sees the situation for what it is, and acts on it.

Also, while I was very probably already--ok I totally was--crying, that last scene with Cassidy was just tops for me. One of the hardest things about anxiety/depression is being able to reach out for someone for help, and I think that we have to remember to let others know that we will listen.

Thank you S., for putting yourselfLauren out there for us readers, and I'm so glad you were able to do this for yourself. I know that the care taken with these sensitive subjects comes from personal experience, and I just want you to know that it is deeply appreciated. <3

Until next time,
Julia

Mind-full Monday - Guilt, Regret, Anger

This weekend we held a garage sale. That's not terrible, or terribly important, or even terribly exciting. But there is something I am upset with myself about. We live in Texas. There are many people of Hispanic (mostly Mexican) heritage that speak no or very little English. While two such women were browsing our used goods, there was a white woman that came through, looked at their collection of items which was mostly old baby clothes, and made a comment in an accusatory tone about their probable intention of reselling them. Why the hell it mattered to her what they were doing, I have no idea. I'm just glad that was two arm-fulls of baby clothes that I didn't have to pack back up and either store or donate. If they wanted to take them home and burn them, I wouldn't be offended, because if something of ours makes it out to the garage sale, my emotional attachment to it is gone.

I don't know if they understood or even heard her, but I did, and I should have said something.  Instead, I let her go without a word about it. It's eating me up inside. I wish I had a time machine, and I would go back and tell her to keep her comments to herself or get the hell off of my property. But I don't have a time machine. I wish I could tell the women who were standing there how sorry I am that I did not stand up for them in my poor, broken Spanish. But I doubt I would recognize them if I see them again.

I don't understand how people have so much hate. There are despicable characters of every age, race, faith, sex, and other basis on which people are judged. Just the same, there are good, or mostly good, characters in each category, as well. Is it fear? Was she afraid that they are harming her or her lifestyle? Afraid they are going to gain some kind of upper hand? They are people, trying to live their lives and support families. 

I hate confrontation*. I hate violence between people. I hate the exchange of harsh words. It makes me uncomfortable and upset, even when it does not involve me. I allowed my hatred of confrontation to allow other women to be talked down to, bullied, by a woman who felt she was superior, but by what I gathered was no different save for the color on her skin (and her lack of respect). I can not put into words how heavily this weighs on my heart. I'm full of guilt and regret about this, and I am angry with myself for not standing up for them, for being a coward.

Until next time,

Julia.

*I exclude constructive criticism and respectful conversations of opposing views from this definition of confrontation, because I know that change must start somewhere, and I believe in communicating even when it is an unpopular opinion or goes against the norm. There is a difference, though, between yelling back and forth and calmly conversing.

Feature Friday - Grossnasty!

A while back I worked at Costco, and for some reason I don't remember, I was put somewhere and not allowed to leave where I was unattended. Perhaps it was cameras. Anyhow, a children's chapter book wound up where I was, and being the person I am, I couldn't help but sneak a peak when there was no one around. I wound up reading the whole thing, and it was hilarious. I don't remember what it was now, but one thing that stuck with me was that the dog, or perhaps its toy, was called "grossnasty," and I still find myself calling things grossnasty and thinking of that book. How silly. It's one of those young reader chapter books, with a couple of illustrations and a pink cover to attract the intended girl audience. Something along the lines of Ivy & Bean or Amelia Bedelia. I'm currently using Google to try and find what it actually is.

Found it! The book series is Dear Dumb Diary by Jim Benton, and I think that this is the one I read, Am I the Princess or the Frog? Grossnasty is the chew-toy of the dog named Stinker.

It's been at least five years, and I still find myself thinking about it. I decided to being it up today, because yesterday after mowing the yard, I thought 'I am soooo grossnasty.' I've been thinking about it ever since.

Until next time!
Julia

Mindful Monday - Returned

So it's back to Monday again, is it?

Well, I've been a little quiet lately, but I've seen the numbers, it's not like anyone actually noticed ;-)

So I've had a lot on my mind, but I'm finally feeling a little more human.

So what's been going on? Well, I've come to the conclusion that I suck. At least when it comes to doing things for myself, that is. This blog? Deserted for nearly a month. My writing? Well, do to-do and grocery lists count? Working out? HAHAHAHA! Seriously, I'm much better at doing things for other people, including getting out of bed and actually eating.

Those things haven't been far from my mind though, and I don't think I actually suck, so no worries--the logical and emotional parts of my mind are always at odds with each other, and logical usually wins, in the end of the often-lengthy battles. I compose blog posts in my head as I try to go to sleep, and forget them in the morning. I've more fully created characters for a story that is spinning in my mind than I've ever done before, although they are far from complete. And working out? HAHAHA! Seriously. Maybe I should buy a full-body wetsuit to swim in this summer (it'd be a lot warmer, right? And I haven't really enjoyed swimming in years...).

There are also things going on that are outside of my control. Some of them aren't really mine, but things with people I love, that I wish I could do something about, but it is not my place and it is not in my power. So in place of my being able to help, I worry for them, I dream for them, I hope for them. For myself, I had what I felt like a very positive job interview, but I've yet to hear anything back. I know these things take time, and I've done the best I can in the time when I could affect the outcome, so all that's left to do is wait.

So maybe these things don't seem like much, but they were enough for me to bury my head in the sand for a couple of weeks.

What now? Well, I get to try again. I get to experiment with blogging some more, transfer the scenes in my head onto the screen, and try to pick up yoga again. Seek the relief from anxieties I felt I was close to before. Will I do all of these things perfectly this time? No. I will probably fall off the face of the Earth again. And then I will return. That's life, I think, and I accept that while the yo-yo experience is typical me and I can try to change it, it takes time.

See you around.
Julia

Edit: "So I've had a lot on my mind, but I'm finally feeling a little more human." I've been thinking about that, and I'm certain I've said it before. So, what is feeling human, anyways? For me it is being able to feel my emotions and not just recognize them from a distance. The journey there feels like climbing up a muddy hill, you get close to the top and slip a little before you finally make it. And once you do, you realize that it really wasn't the top, and you have to keep going. More mud, more slips, and more stops along the way.

Feature Friday - Story of Seasons

Well, hello there. It's been a while, sorry about that. I haven't read a [published] book since the last one I featured, and this pretty much sums up what I've been doing: Story of Seasons. I'll be honest that not only have I been playing this pretty heavily, I've been using it to escape the anxieties that crowd my mind. More on that later.

So what is Story of Seasons? It's a Nintendo 3DS game in which you play the role of a new farmer in Oak Tree Town, which needs help boosting its trade and what not. If you are thinking this sounds a lot like Harvest Moon, you would be very correct.

I'm already halfway through the Spring of my second year, in a relationship with Raeger, the restaurant owner, and feeling like I'm doing pretty well, as far as the game goes. I don't know what it is about these kinds of games that can devour my attention so wholly, but they do. So, that's what I've been up to enough to feature today. Enjoy!

Julia

Pendulum Ascending

Kelsey Macke, author of Damsel Distressed--which, if you haven't read it, you need to, and don't forget the tissues, my thoughts here--used great imagery for the feeling of slipping into depression, that of the pendulum. As I attempted to get to sleep last night this morning, I began to feel some positive energies begin to return to me after spending some time in the darkness that pendulum swings through, I believe this time around it was more anxiety than depression, they aren't exclusive from each other. I thought about the pendulum a bit, and that just as it falls, the nature of it is to also rise back up to the other side, back to the light. It is that ascension that sometimes is all we have that keeps us going, the knowledge that somewhere, on the upside, is light. I also think that sometimes, where the darkness and light meet and become that gray, in-between area varies, and perhaps my dark is another's dawn, but that doesn't make it any less dark to me.

Found on Pinterest - Links to here: http://www.theprincessandthepump.com/2014/02/at-least-its-not.html

With these thoughts on my mind I drifted to sleep, and found the lovely S. Usher Evans, author of the Razia series and soon-to-be-released Empath--also must reads, being the kindred spirit she always seems to be:

From Empath. #SlayYourFears #bookquotes http://t.co/PPMFP0jKXD pic.twitter.com/QioRyg66cS
— S. Usher Evans (@s_usherevans) April 15, 2015

So here are two of my favorite authors, whose works give words to that which I struggle with, and somehow, those images help. Now it's up to me to continue taking steps, to keep the upward swing of the pendulum as long as I can.

Feature Friday - Storm Damage!

Well, I can't believe it is Friday, again! And here I don't think I've read/watched/listened to/whatever anything (published) worth featuring! There's been a lot of other stuff going on. So, here are a couple of pictures of the damage from the storm that came through a couple of nights ago. The noise woke us up. Supposedly it was just wind/rain, but it sure did cause some damage. My first thought when woken up was that it was a tornado, and we all went into serious storm mode (aka sitting in the bathtub, ready to take cover) until we determined, by use of my husband's smartphone, just what was going on and that we were not going to be blown away. We were completely unprepared for the discoveries we made outside. While the roofing shingles everywhere and the neighbor's broken window were definitely surprises, I think the fence really takes the cake.

Dear Mother Nature, we were already aware we needed a new fence.

A nice view to the other street. Four of us are sharing a yard right now. The posts of the fence are actually snapped at the bottom. Admittedly, we have more of our fence left than they do.

So what excitement have you had this week?

Julia

Mind-full Monday

Well, instead of Mindful Monday, I'm calling today "Mind-full," meaning my mind is full, and not in a good way.

All of these anxieties that I thought were taken care of have begun to rear their heads again. This has been brought on in part by the job fair I attended at my alma mater last week. They are anxieties about the future, and while I know the future can't be controlled, it can be influenced by the actions taken now.

Well, I'm not too comfortable disclosing it all now, but I know that the decisions that have been made are the best for my family, and that's always our #1 priority.

Until next time,
Julia

Feature Friday - Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

Hello there. It's Friday, hooray! Man, what a week. Started out with the little one having a stomach bug, and guess what? It's ending with an upper respiratory thing, what fun. Stack that on top of my insomnia and anxieties about making some pretty important decisions, and I'm pretty much a goner right now.

Anyhow, it's  Feature Friday, and today, I'm sharing what's been stuck in my head all week: Red Jumpsuit Apparatus' CD Don't You Fake It. Yeah, it's a bit old, I've had the CD for at least 8 years, but that's no reason to cast it aside. The song that's been most stuck in my head? "Your Guardian Angel." Of course, as soon as I popped it in, I remembered every word to every song, and you can bet I sang my heart out while driving down the road (and several times since).

Some lyrics:

From "Seventeen Ain't so Sweet"

There's a fire in your eyes

And I hope you'll let it burn

There's a scream in your voice

And I hope you will be heard

There's a fire in your eyes

And I hope you'll let it burn

Until you're heard, you're heard

From "Your Guardian Angel"

I will never let you fall

I'll stand up with you forever

I'll be there for you through it all

Even if saving you sends me to heaven

From "Waiting"

Take time to contemplate who you are and where you want to go

Well, enjoy!
Julia

Special Saturday - NTTBF

Last Saturday I spent the day at the absolutely amazing first annual North Texas Teen Book Festival (Twitter - @NTTBFest) with my amazing librarian mother-in-law.

We didn't make it into either of the ticketed events, but the panels were amazing! I tweeted some of the highlights from the ones we went to (first two panels I mentioned instead of hashtagged, but I'll learn one day):

@sarahreesbrenna: "the toaster is a master swordsman!" @NTTBFest Secondary Education panel
— Julia (@byersj09) March 7, 2015 

— Julia (@byersj09) March 7, 2015

#nttbf15 Captivating Fantasies panel pic.twitter.com/UjN5aPTHJL
— Julia (@byersj09) March 7, 2015

#nttbf15 Captivating Fantasies panel: discussing #TheDress, #sweetorsalty, #teaorcoffee, and more #NTTBF15
— Julia (@byersj09) March 7, 2015

#nttbf15 Captivating Fantasies panel: challenges of fantasy: @raecarson "fantasy is still a bad word to some people."
— Julia (@byersj09) March 7, 2015

#nttbf15 Captivating Fantasies panel: "fantasy is a metaphor for exploring the human condition" @tessagratton
— Julia (@byersj09) March 7, 2015

#nttbf15 Thrill Ride panel: pic.twitter.com/vXtWq13RbI
— Julia (@byersj09) March 7, 2015

#nttbf15 Thrill Ride panel: what thrilled you as a teen? Kathy Reichs "skipping school"
— Julia (@byersj09) March 7, 2015

#nttbf15 ThrillRide: what are you afraid of? "There is a room full of ppl that could terrorize this entire panel"(snakes,monkeys,&jellyfish)
— Julia (@byersj09) March 7, 2015 

And while this was happening...

Met and actually talked to authors Carrie Ryan & C. Alexander London. Allie Condie was there too! #ntts2015 #Fangirling #stumblingoverwords
— Denise Byers (@dbyers1977) March 7, 2015 

the wonderful photographer that donated his time and talent to the event took this picture (caught her stumbling on her words!):

@ca_london This was one of my favorite photos from #NTTBF15 ! Thought you might like as well :) pic.twitter.com/tC0676aqlB
— Kristin Treviño (@kristin_trevino) March 9, 2015

To sum up,

Can I just hang out with all the authors from #NTTBF15? They were all just so much fun!
— Julia (@byersj09) March 8, 2015

While we didn't stay for any signings, we did hear from a lot of authors that are now on my to-read list, and I received some inspiration to keep on with what I'm doing. It was also really cool to hear them talk and see that they are just (mostly) normal (and incredibly funny) people. I don't know if events like this even existed when I was in school, but I think I would have loved them, and they are a great opportunity for the "young adults" out there to meet some amazing authors! I absolutely loved this event and WILL be going again.

Feature Friday - Alliances by S. Usher Evans

My Feature Fridays have started to have more of a review tone to them because I thought that might help me understand why I liked what I did, as well as giving others an idea of whether or not they would like it.

This weeks Feature Friday is the second in the Razia Series, Alliances. The amazing S. Usher Evans has done it again, bringing readers an adventure that had me at times laughing, at times tearing up, and other times having all the feels for Razia that are some mix of compassion and empathy and IDon'tKnowWhatElse. If you have not yet read it, Double Life is Book 1 in the series, &&you need to get on that (below may contain some spoilers, you've been warned).

We catch up with Razia about a year after the ending of Double Life. No longer on pirate probation, she's been doing a commendable job bounty-hunting, but getting none of the commendations. She is just as stubborn and unwilling to hear anyone out when they are saying anything she doesn't want to hear. When another female shows up in her territory, it's ON! Despite the unlikelihood of Razia joining forces with anyone, her and Lizbeth begin uncovering an operation much larger than either of them expected, and what they find will send them for a loop. 

Pros:

• Duo of strong women characters with their own set of strengths and weaknesses, as well as readily-equipped with witty banter.
• Idea that being feminine doesn't equal being a whore. (Evans talks about this on her blog, too.)
• Along those same lines, it's nice to have a story whose main character is female and her main interest/concern/motivation is not romance.
• It's a fun/tense adventure!
• Said fun/tense adventure is not without an emotional journey of self-discovery and brutal truth-slaps.
• Nice comic relief.
• I like that we get the results of Razia's searches in tables, it makes it more immersive (probably even more effective when not read on a phone...).

Faux-Cons:

• I don't think I'm going to make it until October to read Book 3...
• There are times you want to reach out and slap Razia and tell her to listen.
• (Putting this here until I can test out my theory that this is device-specific) some of the tables used so that we can see what Razia sees were too wide for the page, not really a con, and not enough to really affect the experience.
• There is a geeky part of me who wishes to delve [even] further into the naming system for the planets, how the time system works, the science of the space travel, and other science-y things. This is good, because that means the story is interesting enough that I want to know more.

Cons:

• I didn't really have any "cons" about this book, but to each their own. :)

Feature Friday - The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden, Book 1) by Julie Kagawa

I'm attending a YA book festival tomorrow, and I thought I might read at least one book by at least one author who would be there (the original plan was much more ambitious, but procrastination, you know?). So I got on my Overdrive/local library account and found The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa was available for electronic checkout, something I absolutely love. What I found was a world I could not leave until I was forced to by the need to sleep and the end of the book.

Picture from Amazon product page (link above)

I really loved this book, and am eager to begin the second (and third!). There were times when it reminded me of Hollowland by Amanda Hocking, which is another book that I enjoyed several years ago. (Typically my YA Paranormal readings are pretty spaced, I just love to read everything!) The protagonist, Allison Sekemoto, has been a survivor all her life, and her choices and way of thinking about her decisions show it. We know, however, the struggles between making some of those decisions and indulging her more emotional side. Those choices become even more difficult as she learns to make them as a vampire. As a vampire, she has to learn how to fit in--again--with humans as she tags along in search of the promised land.

Pros:

• In general, a well-written and entertaining read.
• Not all the characters were likable (really, I don't think most of them were. Sure, most had some endearing feature or another, but not enough to make you really like them).
• Though sometimes not likable, the characters remained interesting and maintained their own presence in the story.
• Interesting relationship between the vampires/humans for survival.
• I thought the Rabids were an interesting species.
• Touched on topics of peer family, morals, and identity.

Faux-Cons:

• There were a few places where a word or phrase felt almost-but-not-quite right. This isn't really a problem, just an observation. I've lost a lot of my grammar-snobbishness over the years in the realization that writing is not one-size-fits-all.

Cons:

• I felt like more about Samurais should have been revealed to Allison, but it's very possible that she learns more in the following books (or maybe it is just for us readers to fully appreciate).

Mindful Monday - My Fantasy Beginnings

This was written (mostly) more than two months ago...

My interest in writing lies mostly in fantasy, and last night as I attempted to drift towards dreamland (it was a very slow journey) I thought about where I got my beginnings with fantasy. 

As a child often left to my own imaginative play, I was always in another world (or another form-think lion or princess), I didn't know I could share my friends :)

Now of course there were the Disney princesses and fairytales that everyone hears, but I mean my own personal interest in fantasy that was chosen by me, not forced by common lore. There are two works that stand out for me as earliest (literary) fantasy choices: Winter of Fire by Sheryl Jordan and The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman. I don't know which one was first, but they are at a similar point in my memory-somewhere around the 4th grade. Somewhere around the 6th grade I sat outside next to the big oak tree out front and read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.I only ever made it through 4 of those (oh the shame! I'm an embarrassment to my generation!).  I don't really recall reading anything else that I would qualify as fantasy, but my memory from those years is a bit difficult to access, so there might have been more. 

Throughout high school my literary interests turned towards thrillers, especially those written by Dean Koontz. Interspersed with my required school readings and teenage interests that might not have been quite so literary, I don't recall indulging in fantasy then, either.

At some point in time, I believe it was just after I graduated, I was finally able to get my hands on and finish the two books that followed The Golden Compass. 

My real, lasting interest became formed most fully when I read A Game of Thrones. I was already living my adult life, away from home and the small-town-mindedness that had previously surrounded me my entire life. I have, since then, been an avid consumer and lover of fantasy. That is also when characters began slipping through hallways in my mind and I began to put them onto paper (or screen).

I still enjoy general fiction, but there is something so exciting about exploring other worlds!

I ought to add that my husband had a great influence on this interest as well, although this post is more about the literary influences. He read these fantasy works alongside me (in fact I think he is the one that brought them home), as well as several series that I have not yet begun. He's also always been a gamer, and there is a ton of fantasy knowledge and lore that comes along with that. He has always encouraged my interest and supported the ideas I throw his way. My interest in fantasy owes him as much credit as it does to the works which influence me. 

So what have I read recently that I consider fantasy?
The Madness Project by J. Leigh Bralick (also check out The Lost Road Chronicles)
Dragonhold by Brian Rathbone (also check out the rest of the Godsland series, here is the first)
Double LIfe by S. Usher Evans--Sci-fi/Fantasy (Book two, Alliances, out in 8 days!)

And what's next on the TBR list that's fantasy?
Crown of Stones: Magic Price  by C. L. Schneider


Of course there are loads more on the lists, but this is a good place to start :)

Julia

Feature Friday - Taylor Swift's Blank Space Performance at the Brits Awards

So it's Friday. But it feels like Wednesday. The first half of the week was spent hiding inside from the ice outside, and today it's snowing! So Friday crept up...but it's still Feature Friday, and this video blows me away.

If you weren't aware, you are now, I'm a Taylor Swift fan. And this performance?! Whoa! I love that she puts her all into whatever she is doing, and this is no exception. I also really like the visual effect when she starts walking out on that long part of the stage. All the dancers, her voice, her smile at the end, the visuals, it's all just incredible.

I want so badly to go see her on her 1989 tour this year, and she is in Dallas TWO DAYS after my birthday. I WILL find a way. Went to the Speak Now tour with my mother-in-law (also around my birthday) and it was just so cool! (I also sent her this video and said it was more entertaining than the entire Superbowl halftime show, just my opinion.) Anyways, enjoy the video. I'm gonna go watch the snow.

Julia

Feature Friday - The Madness Project by J. Leigh Bralick

I just loved this book. I picked it up because I loved the The Lost Road Chronicles by the same author. It only took me a year (exactly) to start reading it after I bought it...because, you know, life. And also because I have to be in the right mood to read, or in the mood to read the right genre. If I'm feeling adventurous, romance isn't going to cut it, and if all I want is a mind-numbing read, fantasy definitely won't do-I enjoy it too much! But there I was, thinking, 'I should read something,' and remembering that I had TMP, and that was all I needed to get started.

I feel like I ought to hand it to Bralick for writing a book that required more than one day to read. It's probably one of the longer books that I've read recently (for pleasure, novels for college not included). Even with its length, the story flew by and I am left wanting the next book in the series.

This cover is a recent update, and I think it is beautiful! And very fitting.

The blurb on Amazon(click to read), which, I have to say, sums it up pretty well. :) 

This fantasy steampunk world is filled with politics and magic.

Prince Tarik has, since the age of 5, been hiding the secret of being a mage. Now that he is 17, his father, King Trabin, has asked him to utilize the magery Trabin despises so much. Tarik has no idea what he's getting into, and finds out that not everything is as it seems.

Hayli is a young mage, struggling with her feeling like she doesn't belong anywhere and learning how to control her shape-shifting ability.

Tarik and Hayli have several run-ins before Tarik is given his mission, and little do they know how large her role will be in its execution.

This story touches on topics of identity, race, and peer family, for sure, as well as disparity between the poor and the rich. It is written in first-person, alternating between Tarik and Hayli, which makes for an interesting read (and also forces you to read the chapter header to know who "I" is). Each of the characters were unique and distinguishable from the others.

So, a break-down:

Pros:

• Good pacing with a great storyline that kept me wanting to read on
• Believable/unique characters
• Interesting setting (I don't think I've read anything steampunk before...)
• Magic system explained enough to make sense but remain magical, and there is definitely more to learn in the upcoming books
• Depth of thought put into Tarik's magic, especially, to be able to accomplish his mission
• Cavnish slang
• Touches on topics related to issues in today's world such as race, poverty, and politics
• There is a line shared between Zagger and Hayli which (to me) was fairly powerful
• Slow-burn romance
• Adventurous and emotional

Faux-cons:

• I want to know the rest of the story, but the other three book aren't out yet

Cons:

• I don't have any complaints about this book

So, there you have it, I would definitely recommend checking out this book if you are looking for an adventure you won't soon forget!

Julia

*still working on my reviewing skills*

Feature Friday - Damsel Distressed by Kelsey Macke

This week's Feature is the YA novel Damsel Distressed by Kelsey Macke, and I was fortunate enough to be able to watch her participate in a forum at YAK fest this year.

Let me just say that while yes, I am an emotional reader, the level of sobbing I did while reading this book was unreal, and kept my son asking me if I was ok. I am, by the way.

First thing, let's look at the beautiful cover. Admire.

Now go to Amazon, and open up the sample. Look at the amazing inside title page.

But wait! Don't close that sample, scroll down to the powerful dedication. (I'm going to play it safe here and not reproduce anything from the book.)

We then find out that there is a soundtrack, with songs written specifically for the book and performed by the Mackes' band, Wedding Day Rain, available on the book's website. How very awesome is that?!

Here is the blurb from Amazon:

Hot girls get the fairy tales. No one cares about the stepsisters' story. Those girls don't get a sweet little ending; they get a lifetime of longing.

Imogen Keegen has never had a happily ever after-in fact, she doesn't think they are possible. Ever since her mother's death seven years ago, Imogen has pulled herself in and out of therapy. When Imogen's new stepsister, Ella Cinder, moves in down the hall, Imogen begins losing grip on the pieces she's been trying to hold together. The only things that gave her solace--the theatre, cheese fries, and her best friend, Grant--aren't enough to save her from her pain this time. While Imogen is enjoying her moment in the spotlight after the high school musical, the journal pages containing her darkest thoughts get put on display. Now, Imogen must resign herself to be crushed under the ever-increasing weight of her pain, or finally accept the starring role in her own life story. And maybe even find herself a happily ever after.

If you've looked at what I suggested, certainly you didn't miss the comedy/tragedy masks of drama, did you? Those aren't just random. The first thing encountered is Imogen exercising her love for dramatic flair, in the form of ranting about princesses and stepsisters to Therapist George. Imogen's voice is immediately distinct. Influenced by her love for musicals, it is silly, snarky, and at times brutally honest. While Imogen is overweight, and that does play a part in the story, it is not the main concern, as Imogen is clinically depressed and fighting to find some kind of light. Just when she thought things were getting better, Carmella, "Ella," her step-sister, moves in.

So, thoughts:

Pros:

• Imogen's unique voice/view of the world. You can definitely see the influence of the theater.
• Macke uses just enough dialect (fish-kick, for example) for the book.
• All of the character's were their own unique identity and had their own presence in the book.
• Just enough comic relief.
• Important issues treated with respect and care.
• Super emotionally moving!
• The perfect capturing of depression is what really turned the knob on my waterworks. For me it is Imogen's idea of the pendulum swing that rings so true. The exhausting swinging back and forth, thinking you have come out just to plunge back in. Maybe it's not a new idea, but it's the first time that I have been exposed to it, and it is so perfect that it hurts to realize how accurate the swing of the pendulum of emotions is.
• Part of my connection to Imogen is that I lost my mom at a similar age, so, bonus waterworks.
• In my experience as an English major, one of the things I found repeated was the idea that "serious" literature was re-readable for the underlying themes, images, ideas, etc., that once the story is read there is still something to merit by reading it again. In my Young Adult Literature class, some of these things that we looked at and were often found in our texts were: non-traditional/broken homes, peer family, and identity (personal, social, cultural, etc.), among other things. Damsel Distressed addresses all of these things with such realistic voice and emotion that it grabs onto your heartstrings and doesn't let go.

Faux-Cons:

• I want to know the story of all the other characters.
• Not a sunshine-happy read. (It is hopeful, though.)

Cons:

• I honestly have no cons about this book.

Thanks for reading, I hope you check this amazing book out!

Julia

(still working on the way I review)