March Reset

The last few months have been a year, so last week I took time off from the daily grind to rest and renew, thinking I’d sneak in at least *some* writing time in between staring off into space and playing games on my phone. Nope! No, apparently, my brain really needed to go offline so… I let it. Now I’m playing catch up—but since it’s been a while since I checked in with y’all, sending a little howdy your way happily rose to the top of my to-do list. Fun!

Speaking of brains, right now I’m thinking about:

Reading stories - Next Up on My TBR List

We all like a good story and if you’re anything like me, your TBR list is a mile long and five miles wide with every title vying for next up on my e-reader.

This is where living in a multiverse could really come in handy. With all the different versions of “me” running loose, surely we could get to all the books in our collective lifetime?

Currently vying for the rapt attention of my eyeballs:

You feel my pain?!? The struggle to choose among these powerhouse storytellers is EPIC!

Listening to stories - Comfort re-reads (re-listens?)

I’m delaying having to choose “what’s next” by listening to all of Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson and Alpha & Omega series. Again. For, like, the millionth time. The world Briggs has created grows more intriguing with each book—which I love as a reader and study with great interest as a writer. Bonus points that the narrator—Renee Raudman—does such a great job. And double bonus points that the stories are now getting the Graphic Audio treatment.

Have you listened to any titles released through Graphic Audio? I bought my first by accident (one of Ilona Andrews’ Kate Daniels series). It took a little getting used to having a full cast of characters, sound effects, and music underscoring key moments, but by the end of that listen, I was hooked. Now I look for the Graphic Audio version first.

Watching stories

Unpopular opinion alert! During my time off, my dad and I saw Anora, the recent Oscar Best Picture winner. For the life of me I can’t understand the appeal. Billed as a “rom-com”, it was neither romantic nor funny. Slow paced and episodic, it tried to build to a slapstick third act that felt emotionally flat, mean, and hopeless. Interestingly, I talked with a couple of coworkers who liked the film, but had *not* expected it to be a rom-com. Makes me curious about the various ways our expectations color our impressions and experiences. Human nature… endlessly fascinating!
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On a happier front, my dad and I also burned through the first two and a half seasons of Will Trent and WOW! Totally recommend! Set within the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, this one-hour police procedural (which I caught on Hulu, but airs first on ABC) is based on Karin Slaughter’s suspense series. With snappy dialogue, three-dimensional characters, a hint of romance, and a fast pace, there is nothing I don’t love about this show and I can’t wait for the next season to release. Have you watched it yet?

Telling stories

I mentioned at the top that I’ve been slacking on the writing front. My break was awesome, but now I really need to get cracking! I have a deadline to meet and the characters in my head are getting *super grumpy* with my lack of attention. Once I hit send on this, it’s back to the keyboard to immerse myself in a wedding reception that’s about to go off the rails.

My poor heroine. Hehehe.

Ciao for now,

Keely

J. Keely Thrall
Thrilling, Enthralling Romance

P.S. Back in February, my pal Angele McQuade invited me to see THE Julia Quinn of Bridgeton fame at one of our local libraries. So much fun!
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P.P.S. Need a good story to carry you through the weekend? Try The One That I Want by yours truly. <3
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