Showing posts with label state of the blog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label state of the blog. Show all posts

Monday, June 23, 2014

This Is Goodbye

Well, here we are.  I had every intention of coming back to blogging during my recovery.  Little did I know.  I didn't count on how exhausting healing would be.  I didn't count on the changes that would occur over that time.  I also didn't realize just how much more of me my family needed.  Spending my time recovering really opened my eyes to just how much of my time was dedicated to blogging.  I have a 5 year old who really needs her mother right now.  How can I deny her that?

As sad as I am to go, I won't deny that there's also a sense of relief.  You see, I'm guilty of putting way too much pressure on myself, no matter what I resolve to do.  For me, pressure = stress, which makes for a not-very-fun mama.  That has to stop, for my sake, for my daughter's sake, and for my husband's sake.

You will still be able to find me on Goodreads.  Any remaining review books I have will be read and reviewed, make no mistake about it.  It will just be there, instead.  Feel free to say hello over there.  I certainly won't be quitting reading any time soon, so you'll always find me there.

This blog will remain live for a few months, then it will be closed.  I'm sorry to see StNC go.  It has been mine for 4 years now, but the time has come.  You have all been the best group of readers I could ask for.  Thank you so much for sticking with me all this time.  It's been real.

 


 
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Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Update on Life

Hello, readers.  I'm still alive, I promise.  I've been more absent than I would have liked, but I've been pretty sick.  I even had to leave the family camping trip early, so things haven't exactly been going as I would have liked.  It's kind of like my body is fighting against me, much like this:



I am having surgery tomorrow, to be followed by 6 weeks of recovery.  After the first few days, I'll probably be back in full force.  I'll need something to occupy my time while I rest, after all.  I'm still reading, but other than that I'm taking things easy for now.  I will be back before you know it.  I even have a little somethin' somethin' special for you when I return.

I hope to "see" you all again very soon.  I will be back.  You can count on it.
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Monday, May 12, 2014

Sometimes Life Gets in the Way

You may have noticed an unexpected absence from me over the past week.  It was just as unexpected for me, as I had a lot of plans.  Then, life happened.  You see, I will be having surgery in just 3 weeks.  Around this time 2 years ago, I had a surgical procedure to fix a problem I was having.  Needless to say, it didn't work, so this time I will be going in for a more serious procedure.  In the interest of having some privacy, I won't say what it is, but needless to say it's major surgery and I will be in the hospital for two days.

In the meantime, my concentration is shot.  I haven't been able to read a single book since last Monday, aside from those I read to my daughter.  It's difficult to have books to review when you can't concentrate on reading them, you know?  So, in the interest of keeping myself as healthy as possible, I won't be posting as much for the next month.  I do have some interviews for you all, so those will be going up soon.  As for reviews, however, don't be surprised if it takes a while for me to post one.  I'm still here, just a bit preoccupied, and for good reason.
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Saturday, April 19, 2014

Stacking the Shelves #3 - April 19, 2014


Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and is a meme dedicated to sharing your book hauls and swag.  Please visit this link to find out more.

 This week, I'm going to add a week-in-review.  I forgot all about doing that the previous 2 weeks and it's such a good idea.  I'm bringing back my little graphic, as well.  As for the haul, it is once again small but very cool.  I'm really intrigued by what I got this week.
The Books

In the Shadows by Kiersten White and Jim Di Bartolo (finished copy; Thanks to Scholastic!)


Take Back the Skies by Lucy Saxon (eGalley from Netgalley)
Hauntings ed. by Ellen Datlow (eLibrary loan)

Half a King by Joe Abercrombie (eGalley from Netgalley)
A Creature of Moonlight by Rebecca Hahn (eGalley from Netgalley)



What I Read

House of Ivy and Sorrow by Natalie Whipple


What I Reviewed



What I'm Reading

Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira
Unwrapped Sky by Rjurik Davidson
Dance of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin


Other Posts


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Friday, November 30, 2012

Owl Tell You All About It - November 30, 2012



Welcome to the last day of November here at Starting the Next Chapter.  It's been quite the eventful month behind the scenes.  While posting was slowed for the entire month, a lot was accomplished in coordinating with my new co-bloggers.  We have all settled on what we like to write about most and when we are all available, so we hope to bring you lots more for the month of December.

In addition to 2 new co-bloggers, I hope you will all help me in welcoming the 30 new followers that have visited StNC this month.  Hello, out there!  We're very pleased to have you and appreciate every single one of you.  If there's anything you would like to see here, please feel to drop us a line via email.  We'll see what we can do to accommodate you.

Starting the Next Chapter's very own Goodreads group has taken off swimmingly thanks to our lovely GiGi, who heads up the community there.  She has done a great job in getting everything set up.  If you haven't already, feel free to drop by and join.  Membership is open at this time!  We have monthly reading discussions and will eventually host "read-offs" between GiGi (our urban fantasy goddess) and myself (a self-admitted YA junkie).  Join us as we see who wins whom over with their reading choices. 

Marla's Books Read in November



GiGi's Books Read in November





Shalena's Books Read in November








Reviews Posted



Other Posts





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Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Owl Tell You All About It - October 31, 2012


Welcome to the October edition of Owl Tell You All About It!  October has been a month of changes here at Starting the Next Chapter.  I am gearing up to take up writing on a full-time basis and our dear Nikki is hard at work finishing up her next-to-last semester of grad school.  What does this mean?  What else?  We needed more help!  Enter GiGi and Shalena, two very awesome ladies who have both saved my butt and rocked my world.  Thanks to these two, Starting the Next Chapter isn't going anywhere.

You met Nikki last month and GiGi just yesterday.  Soon you will meet Shalena, though if you want a sneak peak, you can head over to her home blog, Writer Quirk, to learn more about her.  Both of these gals are awesome and I think you will like them as much as I do. 

In addition to new bloggers, there is also a new addition in the form of the Goodreads group that the lovely GiGi has put together.  There, you will be able to take part in our monthly reading challenges and watch as GiGi and I challenge each other to read books we would never have considered otherwise.  It should be lots of fun, so we hope you will check it out!

One last bit of news for you.  I will be taking part in NaNoWriMo this year, so the month of November may see me extremely busy as I work to write more than 1660 words per day.  What do I hope to accomplish?  It is my plan to complete the first draft of my work-in-progress so that I may finally get all of these thoughts and ideas in my head to make room for more.  I hope to make it a birthday present to myself since it does so happen to fall on the day after NaNo ends.  Mighty convenient!

Marla's Books Read in October





Marla's Books To Read in November







Reviews Posted



Other Posts






Physical Books


The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa
(purchased)
The Archived by Victoria Schwab
(borrowed from Megan at Myth-illogical)
(used book store find)
The Great Encyclopedia of Faeries by Pierre Dubois
(used book store find; writing research/inspiration, baby!)
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
(used book store find)
The Goblin Companion: A Field Guide to Goblins by Terry Jones
(used book store find; writing inspiration)
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
(used book store find; $1!)
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
(used book store find; also $1)

Digital Books


(November 6, 2012 from Little, Brown BFYR; for review via Netgalley)
Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore
(July 12, 2011 from Delacorte BFYR; digital library book)
After Obsession by Carrie Jones & Steven E. Wedel
(September 13, 2011 from Bloomsbury USA Children's; digital library book)
Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr
(September 4, 2012 from HarperCollins; digital library book)
Chaos Walking: The Complete Trilogy by Patrick Ness
(purchased)
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