April Loves
A quick hello! And some things I’ve been enjoying this month.
Hello Book Monsters!
How’s life, reader friends? I’ve been dealing with WiFi issues this week, so this will be a short missive. I had planned on doing another fantasy romance genre dive for you, and had some more book recommendations to shout out, but things being what they are, I think I’ll do a quick rundown of what I’ve been enjoying these last few weeks. Then, I’ll open the floor down in comments to hear what all you’ve been loving this month.
Okay, here goes:
Number 1: How about that eclipse?
Did you see it? I’m all about eyeing the skies for cosmic wonders. We weren’t in the path of totality for April’s solar eclipse, here in Colorado, but we did get to about 60%, I think. It was another really cool astronomical event in what feels like a long line of many over the past few years. I went on an “eclipse hike” with my kiddos, since we’re homeschooling, and we had a great time making note of the changes in the atmosphere and lighting. I found this neat video that gave out some fun tips on ways to learn more and make the experience even cooler. If you have young ones, or you just like science-y things, this is a neat site to look at: https://www.smartereveryday.com
Number 2: What I’ve been watching #1
Rise of Empires: Ottoman
I’m really nerding out on history lately. I found the first season of this docu-drama really engaging. The actors are all very good and the mix of movie with information is very well done.
Number 3: What I’ve been watching #2
Resident Alien
This has to be one of the most entertaining shows I’ve seen in a while. Anything Alan Tudyk does is usually gold and this is some of his best work. If you don’t mind offbeat humor, and you have a have a heart for the ridiculous, you should give this series a try. There are currently three seasons. The first two seasons are available on Netflix, then you have to jump over to Peacock for the third. (Yes, it was good enough that I did all the hunting around for it ;))
Number 4: What I’m reading
I picked up this beauty of a biography at the library a couple days ago. I dove into it the other night and am finding the reading time well spent. I’ve always considered Catherine the Great a fascinating historical figure, and I’m very excited to learn more about her. Mr. Massie’s writing is well planned, intriguing and provides an ease of reading that makes it easy to slip into the life of this interesting woman.
Last but not least! Number 5: What I’m working on.
I have to say, I’m so glad I decided to continue my work on updating Snow Maiden. It’s been so nice to spend time on elevating the language and fixing little things here and there that I lacked the awareness of when I put out my very first publishing effort with this fairy tale romance years ago. I’m falling in love with the characters and the story all over again and am grateful to have the leeway of being an indie author so that I can do things like this with my books. If you want to follow my progress, you can read this winter story over on Ream in their social reader and let me know what you think. https://reamstories.com/amandavshane
Okay, Monsters, that’s all I have for now. I’m doing this all on my phone in between running errands and now I have to go. Sheesh! What a headache, lol. I’d love to know what books and other activities you are enjoying these days. So, drop me a note down in comments or in a reply and let me know what you’re up to.
Till next time, lovely friends…
Stay in the magic!
Amanda V Shane
The eclipse was awesome - even though it was cloudy here, the shift in the temperature, light, and the way the wildlife behaved was worth the experience.