April 20, 2017 UPDATE

Heya lovelies!

So, HAPPY 4.20!!!

For those of you who don't know what that means, google it. I'd put it on here, but once you see what it is, you'll know why!

Anyhow.

I wanted to give ya'll an update on my writing project. It's ALMOST completely written. It's divided into 2 parts, and since the 1st part has been done for quite some time, I've already had it gone through 2 rounds of VERY helpful beta reading for which I am eternally grateful for.

Seriously guys. Beta reading is a LIFE SAVER and such good experience if you want to beta read someone else's work, too.

I am so close to finishing the 2nd part that I can almost taste it. At this point, my project is also going to need a sequel. I'm not leaning towards it being a trilogy but I'll have to wait to see how far I can get in the second book. This project of mine is starting to develop into more complex ideas and themes, so this is why it requires a sequel. I'm not just forcing to do it that way to profit more on it--I know making sequels and trilogies is a major trend right now, I just don't want to have a 1,000 page novel in hopes of people having the courage to start reading it.

Ha.

I'm projecting to have the 2nd part finished and gone through two rounds of beta reading by mid-summer. Of course, this depends on how busy my beta readers are and whatnot.

My last, final round of beta reading is more for general thoughts. I literally give it to people I trust and ask them for honest feedback, like whether the book entertained them, if they see any typos. It's not heavy, dense work so it's not time consuming. I'm essentially asking them to read the book and let me know if they liked it. I want a reader's honest opinion.


Also, as a lasting note, I've had even MORE commissions done for the story! Check 'em out!

Book Suggestion

Heya guys!

So, I haven't done this a while.

With finals quickly approaching (YAY), I'm currently working to complete all kinds of end-of-the-semester projects and essays. This means I'll start having more time to myself again (YAY).

So, I started re-reading some books I've enjoyed in the past. Now, let's take a fast trip down memory lane--back to the world of fan fiction.

Yes, I said it.

Fan. Fiction.

Back many, many moons, in my early high school days when Twilight was a sensation, there was a fanfiction I found that was like discovering treasure. It was SO GOOD. But, it wasn't finished at that time so I went on to read other fanfiction, but of course I've never forgotten it.

Years later, when 50 Shades of Grey was published, I did some research and found that a lot of Twilight fanfics were being published. I will say that those fanfics had the most variety, that writers really were able to take characters from the franchise and make them their own. Anyhow, I immediately thought of the story I read so long ago -- originally titled "Emancipation Proclamation" and practically screamed when I saw that it, too, was published under a different name.

Siempre (Forever), by J. M. Darhower.

I have to say that this is one of my favorite books. The writing is so well-done, the characters are enthralling, the story is breathtaking, and the message relayed behind it is so frightening real. Here's the opening to the book, the first bit of writing you, the reader, sees from the author:

I just have to share it with you guys because I think the message behind the fictional story is just so important and happening in our world, right now. Since I can't even put into words how I feel about this book, I'm going to share some reviews with you guys from Goodreads:

(keep in mind that I am in no way profiting from sharing this with ya'll. I just really, really love this book and thought I'd share it)

'Alex is the Romance' shared:

I absolutely loved this book. The title totally stunning…everything about this story is in some way summed up in that title!

It’s Godfather & Cinderella!!
It’s thought-provoking.
It’s about love.
It’s about teenage angst.
It’s about family love.
It’s about loss.
It’s about the challenges in life.
It’s about human slavery, the mafia.
It’s about loyalty.
It’s about sacrifices.
It’s about heartbreak
It’s about murder.

Even after a week, I am still thinking about the story, the writing and the characters.


'Kristin (KC)' shared:

Sempre is not your average feel-good love story. It is a gritty portrayal of various harsh realities and agonizing circumstances. Although my heart broke for the majority of this story, I enjoyed it immensely and found it both inspirational and humbling. I also found a new respect for individuals born into dreadful conditions beyond their control. 


'Christy' shared:

This book captivated me from the beginning. What a story. A story about choices, sacrificing everything for the ones you love, intense true love, throw in some human trafficking/slavery and mafia connections.
It was heartbreaking at times, but I loved the story and loved the characters (Carmine and Haven) it shows sometimes you are born into a certain life and many things are beyond your control, but sometimes two people who appear to come from totally different worlds can have more ties to each other than imaginable. 
I would recommend this book to everyone! Only have good things to say about it!

Cold Brewed Coffee DIY

Hiya guys!

So, I discovered something new...kind of. I thought I'd share this with you guys!

First and foremost, I love coffee. So this post is about...dun dun! COFFEE! Despite popular believe, having an adequate amount of caffeine can not only boost your metabolism, but in effect also aids to burning fat. I only drink a cup of coffee per day though because we all know that having too much of something can make it not as good, am I right?

I hope that makes sense.

Anyhow.

So with there being no transition between spring and summer here in South Texas, the mornings are getting warmer and warmer. Which means that I'm always leaning more towards getting iced coffees at Starbucks or Coffee Waves.

But then I had a thought.

What if I brewed coffee the night before, put it in the fridge, and BAM! Had chilled coffee ready for me in the morning?!

I tried it. After visiting my sister in San Antonio over Spring Break, I came home with the best coffee I have EVER had. It's a dark chocolate roast, and I found it at Williams Sonoma. It is by far my most favorite in the entire world. I'm spoiled now though because it's so flavorful! Anyhow, so I brewed the coffee, making about two cups, and then I let it cool to room temperature. I have a glass carrier thingy that people, I assume, use for milk and orange juice. Well, since I don't really drink either of those, I put the coffee in that, left it in the fridge (once it cooled of course, very important because it's glass), and in the morning I had my own cold brewed coffee! I'm honestly not sure if this is how the professionals do it, but it certainly works for me and tastes delicious. Plus I don't need ice for it, which was my only pet peeve about buying iced coffee because it gets watered down and there tends to be more ice than actual coffee.

If you are a coffee lover like me, I suggest you give this a try because it is so so good!!

What I Eat In a Day...

Hiya lovelies!

So, although I don't weigh myself every week (I do this so I don't get freaked out by numbers), I found out the other day that I have gone down TWO PANT SIZES. I went to Rue 21 over the weekend with some friends, and I tried on those cute denim high wasted shorts--you know, the ones I've never been able to wear because how self conscious I was of my waist? Not only did they fit, but I felt SO GOOD in them! So of course I bought them.

I haven't been this pant size for I don't even know how long. To put it into perspective, I went from being a size 12 for pants (American) to being a size 10.

If you are like me and are working on weight loss, I encourage you not to drive yourself insane by weighing yourself all the time. Your body's weight fluctuates throughout the day anyhow, so if you are going to weigh yourself, do it as soon as you wake up (after you pee). That will give you the most accurate results!

Furthermore, I'm going to post what I'm going to eat today. Yes, I'm one of those people who spends Sunday not only grocery shopping and catching up on homework, but planning out my meals for the upcoming week. As a full time student with two jobs, I have to do this or I'll be running around like a chicken with its head cut off.

That turned morbid real quick, wow.

Anyhow.

Here's what I'm eating for today (I know my calorie intake is low, but I am taking dietary supplements and multi-vitamins to ensure I am getting all the nutrients that my body needs throughout the day. I'll post these later)

Breakfast:

-Scramble eggs (2 eggs, olive oil for nonstick)

-a serving size of peaches (from the lite can)

Lunch:

-1 serving Greek yogurt (vanilla, low-fat) 

-protein pack (with turkey, almonds, and cheese) 

Dinner: 

-lean pork chops

-Green beans 

And maybe for a little treat, I'll have some ice cream...

Healthy Chicken Salad with Grapes and Cranberries

One of my favorite healthy lunches...and this is a great recipe!

Source: https://simple-nourished-living.com/healthy-chicken-salad-with-apples-cranberries/


INGREDIENTS
2½ cups chopped cooked chicken
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 cup chopped apple (about 1 large; I used a Pink Lady and kept the peel because it was organic) OR grapes
¼ cup dried cranberries
½ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons Hellman's light mayonnaise
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped parsley (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

March is Women's History Month. So...

Rupi Kaur is a Canadian feminist poet, writer, and spoken word artist. She is popularly known as an "Instapoet" for the traction she gains from posting her poems online, with Instagram being her primary platform. She published a book of poetry and prose entitled milk and honey in 2015, which features themes of violence, abuse, love, loss, and femininity.

These short but powerful poems I have brought today are from this beautiful and riveting collection of poetry, which, if you haven’t had the opportunity to read, I highly suggest you check it out. You will not be disappointed.

Over this past Spring Break, I spent some of my free time watching a TV show called The Tudors, which loosely depicts the reign of King Henry VIII of England, even though most of it was filmed in Ireland. I had already watched the entire show before, but when I came back to it, I became enraptured again--and for a while, I couldn’t figure out why I loved it so much. Then I realized, it was the women. With all the suffocating confinements women were dealt at that time, the show never fails to get my blood boiling! Although after seeing how things used to be,I think it is good to look at where we’ve come and see where we are. But even so, we are in no way perfect. Even now there there are all kinds of standards for women. But the sad thing is that often times, it is women pitting against other women. Which leads me to Kaur’s next poem in milk and honey.

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