Posted on by hrchow12

NYC Midnight Challenge Entry: Two Truths and One Lie

Two Truths and one lie

October 2021 (Round One)
Genre: Horror
Word: Wine
Action: Taking a Lie Detector Test
Time Constraint: 24 hours
Length: 250 words

Matthew squirmed in the unforgiving metal chair, his chest heaving against the instrumentation strapped tightly across it and his fingers twitching under the galvanometer bands. Behind the desk, Agent Carlson studied the polygraph’s steadily scratching needles.

Wiping his clammy forehead, Matthew worked his rough tongue in his desert-like mouth, trying to find words as thirst raked his thoughts. “Could I please get some water?”

Carlson leaned forward across the polished desk, his midnight gaze intent beneath his bushy brows. “First, I’ll need you to tell that story of how your wife died. For the machine.”

Matthew flinched, the memory knifing into him as he recounted Ana’s murder for the twelfth time. The dark figure approaching their campfire. The wrongness of it—no nose, no hair, no eyelids—just a white, serrated smile beneath glinting eyes. How quickly it had grabbed Ana… and how slowly it had sunk its teeth into her. How it had stood, unwavering, as Matthew tried to pry the screaming Ana from its immutable grasp, until, at last, she fell silent. And how the creature had smiled as it chewed each chunk of flesh, meeting Matthew’s horrified gaze as it sipped the blood from his wife’s wounds like a fine wine.

“And it didn’t bite you?” Carlson asked, just as he had the first eleven times.

Matthew paused, the thirst drowning everything else out as the pain and fear and frustration hardened into something wholly new. “No.”

The needles jumped, and Agent Carlson’s bushy brows rose one last time.

JUDGe’s Feedback

This one placed in second in my group of 45ish and I got to move forward to the second round. The feedback is below!

WHAT THE JUDGES LIKED ABOUT YOUR STORY

{2144}  I really loved the artful storytelling here. I like the tension of the interrogation and the horror of this mystical-seeming beast. But I especially like the ambiguity of the end and some of the other horrible possibilities it also suggests.  

{1998}  There’s some good tension and anticipation that builds through this story. I expect some big reveal. 

{1772}  The story has a strong voice that engages the reader and helps create an effective atmosphere to chill the reader. Matthew has a clear motivation and conflict. Tension builds as the details of the plot unfold and Carlson realizes the reality of the situation.

WHAT THE JUDGES FEEL NEEDS WORK

{2144}  I would love if there was a line somewhere in the description of the attack that implied that Matthew could be implicated in the incident, like that he went to comfort his wife and got blood on him. It would add to the ambiguity at the end. I would also like to know what happened to the creature after it feasted on Ana; did it try to attack Matthew at all, or did it just leave? It does seem mysterious that he might’ve gotten away completely unscathed.

{1998}  The ending isn’t as clear as I hoped as a reader. I find myself contemplating what might have happened in that room, but it’s not obvious. Did he become the creature and turn on the agent? Or what was the consequence of the lie?

{1772}  One way to develop character might be to focus on Matthew’s journey in this line of questioning. In the end, the reader might be left unsure if Matthew has been hiding his emerging identity or just fighting it, so crafting his final words to reflect the real conflict he has been facing could be one way to leave the reader with the right intention.

Posted on by hrchow12

Ups and downs with your friendly neighborhood small potatoes writer (2021 in review: Part Two)

So, in my last post, I talked about the numbers. But of course, the year is more than just numbers! Now, I want to talk about the highlights! New things I tried. Things I learned. Things I’d do again, and things I won’t. Mostly this review is a reminder for me on how to improve for next year, but hopefully others might find it useful as well.

New things I tried!

  • This weird writing/reading blog I’ve got going on! Since I often reach out to book-bloggers with review requests before I publish, I figured I should also open for review requests and try to give back to the writing community a little bit. This year, I reviewed 78 books! And honestly, thinking critically about what I enjoy and don’t enjoy in stories has been a great help to my own writing. Overall, it’s been fun and it’s a great way to support other writers and also get myself out there. So I think I’ll continue into 2022.
  • The NYC midnight challenge! This year I tried the 250 word, 100 word, and short story NYC midnight challenge. The short story one was a little more of a commitment than I think I wanted, but I made it to the final round of the 100 word challenge 🥳, and I’ve really enjoyed the feedback from all the contests. (You can see my feedback here) Will definitely continue the 100 & 250 word contests in 2022.
  • I also entered Odriel’s Heirs in the Book Blogger’s Novel of the Year Award, and it came in 5th! 🥳 The blog highlights they do as part of this contest are really cool and I would totally enter again in 2022.
  • The Page Turner awards! So, this one was a little bit of a lark. The more MS’s you submit, the cheaper the entry fee for each is, and I was able to submit five! Idriel’s Children and The Gatekeeper of Pericael were both finalists for the book award (full disclosure… there were a *ton* of finalists). And Codename: CNDRLA made the longlist for the writing award! 🥳 No luck for Odriel’s Heirs or The Belethea Race Royale (entered in the writing mentorship award), but I got a cool little finalist badge for Gatekeeper & Idriel’s. Still, it’s pretty light on the perks so I’d probably pass on this contest in the future.
The badge is cute though!

Realizations

  • Although I love Burning Shadows and Idriel’s Children. After I finish the Odriel’s Heirs series, I will not be self-publishing any other sequels. I missed the prospect of querying (I know, weird right?!), and even though Idriel’s is a stand-alone, I found the sequel harder to market.
  • On a similar note, I don’t plan to write any more middle grade. Although I love writing for younger readers, getting a self-pubbed book into an actual middle-grader’s hands is super tough! And there aren’t as many book bloggers that are into middle grade. So YA all the way!
  • In 2020 I definitely rushed through the querying process for Gatekeeper. This year, I’ve gotten better at juggling multiple projects and realized just how silly that was. I started querying CNDRLA in November 2020. Currently, CNDRLA has three full requests out, and querytracker is telling me one of them will probably take until June to (let’s be real) get rejected.😂 Last year I probably would’ve been antsy… this year, it’s happily on the backburner as I work on other stuff.
  • I need one or two reliable SFF beta reading services in my life. I love beta read-swapping, but I have a terrible habit of taking on too much and gobbling up a lot of my time. So, I’m currently in the process of finding some affordable go-to’s. When I find them, I’ll let you know, but if you have any recommendations, I’d love to hear them!
  • Social Media! Can be a great way to market your books… and it can also be time-consuming and draining. At one point, I got so caught up in doing daily prompts on Twitter and Instagram, it was taking up a lot of my time, and also piling on a lot of needless self-pressure. So this year, I realized I could give myself permission to step back from social media a little bit. Sure, my engagement’s not as good as it was, and I’m sure I’m missing out on marketing opportunities… but honestly I’m much happier when I don’t feel like I have to post, and it gives me extra time to focus on my WIPs!

refining the process!

  • This year, I made some huge strides in figuring out what my writing process is, and how to juggle multiple projects at once.
  • Alphas, CPs, Betas, Editor, Cover Artist, ACX narrator, ARC readers.
  • I now have go-to CPs (shout out to Caleb & Kayleigh!), an editor (MK editing – **11 Jul 2025 Update: No longer recommended due to undisclosed use of AI**) and a cover artist (100 covers.) I know where to go for ARC readers (Book Sirens), and I also know that audiobooks are totally not profitable for me 😅 (but they’re so amazing that I probably still won’t be able to stop myself.) Also, the Microsoft Word read-aloud function is a proofreading miracle!
  • I’m still searching for go-to Beta services, but with the process nailed down, it takes a lot of guesswork out, so I can focus on other things.

Still working on it

  • Getting a BookBub deal for Odriel’s Heirs. UGH! One of these days!!!
  • Querying! I will probably forever be working on this. But Codename: CNDRLA got the most full requests of all my works so far, so I feel like I might be getting better at it.
  • Marketing! This one is still super tough for me… but I’ve kind of made peace with it. I’m much happier spending less time on social media and more time writing, even if it means less sales. I’m also still trying to figure out which ebook newsletter promo’s work best too, so maybe I’ll try to be more methodical about it in 2022. I do think it works better to do 1 or 2 at a time and stretch them out rather than concentrating them all at once.
  • Also, I took the jump and went wide this year with Draft2Digital! That decision probably deserves its own post. But I think with future books I’ll stick with the Amazon/KDP situation… mostly because it’s easier to give away free books. 😅

wrapping up the year

So, I learned a TON this year! …And I still have a lot to work on… 😅 But there are couple things I’m super pumped about for 2022.

  • Codename: CNDRLA has gotten the most requests of any of my works so far, and I can’t wait to get it out there!
  • The Belethea Race Royale (working title) is my first sci-fi, my first dual POV, and my strongest side of romance yet. I’m so excited to query in 2022! Now… if only I could come up with a better title…🤔
  • 2022 will be the year I finish my first trilogy. And although I’m sure I’ll be a little sad to close the book on Okarria and Odriel’s Heirs, the epic conclusion is going to be so much fun to write!

That’s all I got for this year. As always, if you have any questions, suggestions, or recommendations please feel free to reach out! It’s been a blast, and I’ll see you all in 2022! 🥳

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Ups and downs with your friendly neighborhood small potatoes writer (2021 in review: Part One)

Well, it’s that time again! Time to look back on the year and see what worked, what didn’t, and how this whole writing thing is going. The review is important to me to make sure I’m still enjoying the process and see where I can do better.

In most of these self-publishing posts, I often mention how important it is to define what success means to us, measure ourselves in growth, and shooting for obtainable goals. But I also want to be transparent about my experience as a small-time self-pubbed writer.

So in this post, I’ll give a quick snapshot of my numbers, and and then in part two, I’ll talk more about the specific highlights and lessons learned.

The cold hard Numbers

Not much to write home about here. I sold:
15 hardcovers
93 ebooks
73 paperbacks
3,988 pages in KU
20ish* audiobooks
Total: 214ish copies

I’ve given away:
4,545 ebooks
38 paperbacks
179 audiobook promo codes
Total: 4,762 copies (not counting eARCs)

And my Goodreads review counts are currently at:
Odriel’s Heirs: 4.36 stars, 134 ratings / 109 reviews
The Gatekeeper of Pericael: 4.07 stars, 82 ratings / 75 reviews
Burning Shadows: 5 stars, 11 ratings / 8 reviews
Idriel’s Children: 4.29 stars, 42 ratings / 36 reviews
Total: 4.29 stars / 273 ratings / 228 reviews
(Thanks so much to everyone who took time to read and review—this means SO much to me!)

Which brings me to a whopping:
$183.82(ish)
(Thank goodness for a solid day job! 😅)

So, yeah. Like I said—small potatoes writer over here just trying to grow and have a good time. 😂 So I try to keep my expectations low and look on the bright side. I put three more books out in the world this year, got more sales and reviews in 2021 than I did in 2020, I learned a lot, and I had a good time doing it. There’s still obviously a lot to learn, but I’d still call it a good year. 😊

But I also wanted to measure the year in another way…

*This is so hard to measure, because ACX lumps in your redeemed promo codes as ‘sales’ so this is purely a guess based on royalties…which are also counted in a variety of ways. Honestly it could be anywhere from 6-50 copies.

The warmer, fuzzier numbers

So, I’m constantly thinking about how to measure writing growth and goals, but it wasn’t until I was trying to estimate what I could accomplish in 2022, that a very simplistic idea dawned on me.

Successful authors often give some version of the advice that the best way to get better at writing, is to just keep writing. So, of course, the answer should have been obvious. I should measure my growth in words.

There are a lot of you who are probably looking at the screen like: 🙄 well duh, girl.

But I think this is trickier than it seems, because I’m not just talking about the words we write. I can usually write a book in 3 months, but it takes another 9 months (and countless rereads) to revise, edit, and polish…not to mention querying.

So, I think we need to not only count the words we write but also those that we revise, query, and publish (and if you have more steps in your process, then count those too!). Add them all together, and then we can get a feel for what we really accomplished in this writing year.

For comparison. I’m also adding 2020, since I didn’t do this last year. (Also… I’m not adding flash fiction – it’s too hard to keep track of.)

2020:
Words written: 10,000(ish) + 10,000(ish) + 78,242 = 98,242 (1 complete, 2 partials)
Words revised: 50,581 + 74,948 = 125,529 (2 books)
Words published: 74,083 (1 book)
Words queried: 50,581 (1 book)
Total: 348,435 words

2021:
Words Written: 20,828+94,328+21,013 = 136,016 (2 books, 1 WIP)
Words Revised: 20,828+78,242+94,328 = 193,398 (3 books)
Words Published: 20,828+50,581+78,242 = 149,651 (3 books)
Books Queried: 74,948 (1 book)
Total: 554,013 words

Now, that’s an interesting comparison! I really didn’t know 2021 was more productive than 2020. And while I’m sure there are a lot of reasons behind this, I know it’s in part because I made some important realizations as a writer this year that have really helped me grow and become more purposeful and efficient in my process. (Which I’ll take on in the next post.)

Of course, however the numbers are tallied, our writing year is not just a number. And, we can’t realistically increase that word count every year. Eventually we’re going to cap out. Even looking forward to my goals for next year, I don’t think I’ll get anywhere close to this year.

  • Finish Ninth Circle (50K words left)
  • Write Time’s Orphan (70K words)
  • Revise Time’s Orphan (70K)
  • Publish Codename: CNDRLA (75K)
  • Query The Belethea Race Royale (94K)

Total: 359K

But, that’s a goal I can really wrap my head around, one that’s completely in my control, and one that I’ll enjoy working toward.

My goal is words. My goal is writing. My goal is growth.

And it was a pretty awesome year. 😊

More to come!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – The Fastest Way to Fall


This was *such* a cute rom com! The Fastest Way to Fall is about Britta, a journalist that’s reviewing a fitness app, and her fitness coach, Wes, as they do everything they can to resist crossing professional lines and falling for each other.

There’s so much to love here. The MCs are super likeable and were totally brought to life in the audiobook. Britta is funny and lovable, Wes is sweet and sincere, their predicament is traditional romcom goodness, and I was cheering for them the whole time. Their relationship growth and chemistry felt super natural and even the side characters felt real. I also loved the body positivity in this book as well as the growth of the female coworker relationship. Honestly Britta’s fictional journey had me alternatively smiling and wanting to hit the gym. (Although, full disclosure, I am a gym rat, so I may be biased.) Also, speaking of disclosure, there is one steamy scene, and also trigger warnings stated in the beginning for eating disorders, addiction, and fat phobia.

This book was heartfelt, sweet, fun, and it just felt super real. Honestly, now that I’ve read it, I’m surprised I hadn’t heard of it before I picked up the audiobook from the library. Since it’s near the end of the year, I can say with confidence that this is my favorite romance of 2021 (and… I have read quite a few), and I *highly* recommend it for anyone looking for feel-good fun.

Now, someone make the movie please!!! 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This one definitely left me with a big smile! Reading slump: Vanquished!

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – Three Halves of a Whole


Three Halves of a Whole follows Andrew as he struggles to cope with the downward spiral of his ex-lover. The story gives a brief introduction into how Andrew and Riley fell in love before bringing us to the present where Andrew has been forced to move on, even though he still cares deeply for the struggling Riley.

This short audiobook is well performed, beautifully written, and achingly poignant—making you wish you could reach in and pull the characters from their tragic trajectory.

My only real critique is that I wish we got to spend more time with Riley and be present while he and Andrew fell in love before diving into the aftermath. Mostly we see Riley through the lens of Andrew’s memories. But once I started listening, the story pulled me in and I flew through it.

Definitely recommend for those looking for a deeply emotional read that deals with grief, complicated relationships, and letting go. (Trigger warnings for substance abuse and suicide) 

⭐⭐⭐⭐

In other news, I’ve realized that like 90% of my reads these days are audiobooks. O_O
WHO AM I ANYMORE?!
In other other news, send audiobook recs!

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Book Review – This Last Adventure

This is one of those middle grade novels that makes me want to read more middle grade. This Last Adventure follows Archie as he navigates eighth grade while his grandfather and role model is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. As his grandfather’s condition worsens, Archie grapples for ways to help him hold onto his memories, learning about his grandfather’s triumphs, tragedies, and regrets along the way.

Beautifully told, This Last Adventure is about family, bravery, and what it means to be a good person. Archie comes across as a very believable eighth grader—dealing with crushes, school projects, peer pressure, as well as the weight of his grandfather’s illness. But I love how the story never underestimates Archie, and his emotions and realizations come across as thoughtful and heartfelt.

Neither too heavy or too light, the poignancy of this coming-of-age tale leaves you with a feel-good ending and plenty to think about. I’d definitely recommend to upper MG readers and those looking for a reflective tale that fully captures the uncertainty of growing up.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ARC! This Last Adventure comes out 1 Feb 2022, and you can preorder here. (OMG – I actually read a book before it came out, I know we’re all shocked.)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Excellent middle grade can be a tough balance – but this one’s definitely a winner!

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – The Good Daughter

This book is Brutal. And it makes it a little tough to review.

Usually I shy away from super long books, but I was tired of having to pick out a new audiobook every few days, so I settled on the first thriller that caught my eye.

The story follows two sisters who, as children, survive a violent and horrific home invasion. In the first chapter we experience this visceral and gut-wrenching event right along with them, and it is HARD to read.

Then we fast forward three decades to where another violent school shooting shakes the survivors and the town they live in once again, unearthing unsolved mysteries from the past and present.

The Quinn family of lawyers is easy to root for, the banter between the sisters feels real, and the personalities of all the characters seem to pop off the page. Although this audiobook was 19 hours long, it felt like it passed quickly.

There are plenty of red herrings in this complicated mystery, and while some of the reveals were certainly unexpected there was at least one in there that didn’t feel quite right to me. But the real thing that I just couldn’t stomach was the brutality of the violence scenes. This book does not hold back, and it really comes off as disturbing. They actually tell the account of the original home invasion three times, and every time the details get worse.

Honestly, if I’d known there was… (*Spoilery Trigger Warning*)

…violent, onscreen child rape I would’ve passed this book by. (That’s what I get for picking it up books at random I guess.) But if extreme, realistic violence doesn’t bother you, you’ll probably enjoy this tense, complicated thriller. I really enjoyed the style of writing, and would probably pick up another book from this author (but you can bet I’ll check out the trigger warnings first!)

⭐⭐⭐¾

This is my disturbed face. I am disturbed. (You know, more than I was before reading, anyway.)

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – Blink

So my office is going through an unconscious bias training, and I remembered that Malcolm Gladwell wrote a relevant book, so I picked up the audiobook at the library.

Although I don’t read/listen to a ton of nonfiction, Malcolm Gladwell and Erik Larson are my two favorites. I love how they can make real world stuff both gripping, educational, and accessible. These are the kinds of book that can fuel intelligent conversation for weeks and… I also like that I can listen to them with my kids in the car. XD

Blink tackles of the somewhat sticky subject of unconscious bias. Through case studies, theories, and research, Gladwell illustrates the power… and dangers… of snap judgments.

I came, I listened, I learned a lot, and as with all Malcolm Gladwell audiobooks I’ve come across so far, I highly recommend.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Do I look smarter? I feel smarter. Maybe I should read more nonfiction after all. 😂

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Ten Favorite Reads of 2021

It’s been quite the year! Goodreads is telling me I’ve read 78 books as of December 13th… which is quite a few for me! So I figured I’d round up my favorite highlights and a one line review for anyone that’s looking for a good read to start off 2022.

Note: these books were not necessarily published in 2021, that’s just when I happened to read them!

And second note: If I love the first book in a series, but overall the series is unsatisfying, I won’t recommend the first book. (However… if I haven’t read the sequel yet but I plan to, I’ll still recommend the first.)

Favorite Sequel: Sweep with Me by Ilona Andrews
Book 5 of the Innkeeper Chronicles is every bit as good as the 4 books before it. If you want some light sci-fi romance in your life, this series about a magical inn that connects to the rest of the universe and the uncountable species and cultures in it (including a fun take on vampires and werewolves) is absolutely fantastic. I NEED MORE.

Favorite Novella: Split Therapy by E.P. Stavs
A fast-paced psychological thriller with two likable leads, a sweet side of romance, and a vigilante. Recommended to cure any reading slump.

Favorite Romance: The Fastest Way to Fall by Denise Williams
I actually just finished this one, and was able to come add it to this post just in time! There’s so much to love in this book! Wonderful characters that feel real (especially in the audiobook!), a cute romance, fun plot (although as a gym rat I might be biased) and body positivity. I’m so glad I stumbled on this 5 star read, and highly recommend!

Favorite Middle Grade: Forget Me Not by Ellie Terry
An achingly beautiful book told half in verse and half in prose about friendship, being different, and the difficulties and confusion of being a middle-grade kid.

Favorite Picture Book: Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell
Love love love love love this book. Fantastic illustrations and a wonderful message about dealing with bullies and embracing your awesome self.

Favorite Fantasy: Thief of Spring by Katherine Macdonald
A fae Persephone/Hades romance that I didn’t know I needed in my life. Great YA fantasy with a fun romance that totally sucked me in.

Favorite Young Adult: Billy Lemonade by Sarah J Maxwell
A beautiful paranormal tale of two healing teenagers. I read this book in one sitting, and I think it’s probably the most poignant, emotional tale I read this year.

Favorite Sci-fi: This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada
A sci-fi, post-apocalyptic pandemic novel with a unique premise, a twist, and a solid romance. I haven’t read the sequel yet, but it’s mostly because I’m scared it can’t live up to the first!

Favorite Thriller: The Whisper Man by Alex North
It was creepy, it was tense, it kept me guessing, and I was rooting for the characters the whole time. This is the kind of thriller that makes you want to read more thrillers. And the audiobook was amazing, so bonus!

Favorite Novel Overall: Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
This book absolutely blew my mind. A book about a group of goofy strangers that get caught up in a hostage situation that manages to be funny and sweet and poignant all that the same time. Definitely my number one book this year, no contest. And the audiobook is superb. If I have to recommend only one book this year, it’s this one.

If you have any best reads of 2021 I’d love to know! Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Book Review – Fatal Obsession

Fatal Obsession starts off with the assault of a star college football player, Deke, and then follows his fiancé, Sloan, as she tries to unravel the aftermath. This is a short, fast-paced mystery/mild thriller with a hook that’ll keep you turning pages and an interesting reveal. However, although we get the perspectives of Deke, Sloan, and the assailant, I thought the characters could’ve used a little more development, and the ending didn’t quite work for me (I thought it was a bit too happily ever after considering the circumstances.) Also, this could’ve just been the ARC format I received, but there were quite a few instances where words were missing between pages.

Thanks so much to BookSirens and the publisher for the free ARC!

⭐⭐⭐

I fear we are still wading through our reading slump. Send help. (And by help, I really just mean audiobook recommendations.) 😂

Thanks for reading!