Recent Reads

/ A.J. Colby / Leave a comment

books

Those of you who follow my Instagram or Facebook feeds know that I’m currently working on a new project. It’s a bit of a departure from my previous works (don’t worry, I’ll get back to Riley and her friends soon!), and to help me get into the right frame of mind I’ve been reading. A lot.

cotar_coverUp until recently, it had been a while since I’d allowed myself the time to sit down with a good book and lose myself in the worlds other authors lovingly created. I have the amazingly talented fellow author Hailey Edwards to thank for turning me onto Sarah J. Maas. Holy cow does this woman know how to write a compelling tale! I started off with the A Court of Thornes and Roses series (book 3 is coming out in May – I can’t wait!), and once I had devoured both of the books currently available in that series, I switched to her Throne of Glass series. Damn. Just damn. The series sucked me in—and Mr. Awesome Sauce, too. It can be a bit dark at times though, which was a bit of an adjustment after the often lighthearted and sarcastic urban fantasy books I normally read.

 

orconomicscover To help break things up a little (and let Mr. Awesome get a book or two ahead of me) I decided to read Orconomics by J. Zachary Pike. I’ll admit I picked up the book purely based on the awesome cover art—a testament to the importance of hiring a good cover designer. I’ve long been a fan of Sir Terry Pratchett after my eldest brother introduced me to him over a decade ago. Orconomics is so reminiscent of Pratchett’s magical, satirical, tongue-in-cheek writing, that delving into that world was like greeting an old friend. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me snort. I don’t know when the next book in the Profit Saga is due to come out, but you can be certain that I’ll be picking up a copy!

 

clean-sweepAnother lighthearted series that I recently delved into is the Innkeeper Series by the amazing husband and wife team of Ilona Andrews. Mr. Awesome Sauce and I have been reading their Kate Daniels books for years, and always enjoy the rich world and cast of characters that they weave. This new series is no different, and we both instantly fell in love with Dina Demille and her friends.

I also recently signed up for Owlcrate (a monthly YA subscription, for those who aren’t familiar with it). I haven’t had a chance to crack open the book from the January box—Rose Blood by A.G. Howard—, but I did enjoy reading Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst.

I’ll have more news on my latest project soon, including some amazing cover art by the super talented Giselle Ukardi, so stay tuned!

Stay cool ghouls & boys,

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Saying Goodbye

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Grief
There is nothing so hard in this life than saying goodbye to someone we love. Our hearts ache with the loss of their presence in our lives, and we wonder if we will ever feel whole again. We feel as though our souls have been stripped bare, and every small emotion is felt a thousand-fold.

Today, my family is laying my beloved Nan to rest.

She was 88 years old, and after several long and painful years, lost her battle to the cruel affliction that is dementia. I think in a way, many of us are relieved that her suffering has come to an end. It has been torture to watch this once bright, shinning star slowly dim and lose her sparkle. My grandmother was an incredibly head-strong woman, who devoted her life to helping others, but towards the end, she was the one needed help and support from those around her. The woman we all knew and loved dearly has been gone for a while now, all that remained was the vessel for her once brilliant soul.

Almost as painful as the loss of such an amazing woman is the fact that I cannot be there in person to bid her farewell. Fortunately, my brother has very generously offered to read a poem I wrote at the service, so even though I cannot be there in person, hopefully my words can still offer comfort to my family.

Moon Song

The moon grew old and bowed her head,
For the last of her children now lay dead.
Bright and strong she had once shone in the night,
Guiding lost souls with her glorious light.
In grief and sorrow she stood alone,
In the empty space that had once been home.
A thousand tears she wept into the black,
For the sons and daughters that would never come back.
Each one fell from her eye with a gleam,
To sparkle and shine as brilliant as a dream.
Across the night sky they glittered so bright,
Those shimmering sorrows given leave to take flight.
They soared and danced through heaven and cloud,
And the moon looked on, loving and proud.
These beautiful stars born of grief and sorrow,
Shall forever herald the dawn of a bright tomorrow.

I love you, Nan. My world will always be a little darker without you in it to light the way.
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May The 4th Be With You!

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May The 4th Be With You

Happy Star Wars Day, ghouls and boys! To celebrate this most auspicious of days here’s a couple pictures of Mr. Awesome Sauce and me being married by our very own Jedi Knight.

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He also doubled as The Impressive Clergyman

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“May the Force with be you. Always.”
No wedding is complete without a Jedi blessing.

Oh, and did I mention that except for the kilt and belt, that spiffy Jedi costume was lovingly made by yours truly? One of these days I’ll get around to making a set for Mr. Awesome Sauce and myself, though we all know I’m going to have to channel the Dark Side for mine ;o)

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And right about here is where the traditional wedding march skipped and transitioned into the Imperial March. That’s right, ghouls and boys, Darth Vader walked me down the aisle :oD Who knew he looked so dapper beneath that mask?

How are you celebrating Star Wars Day?

May the Force be with you,
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