It was a beautiful day outside the Smudged Thoughts Studio. The Autumn sky a crisp cotton-candy blue. Tables and chairs and a pavilion (presumably for dancing later, as hobbit-folk are apt to celebrate long into the night) had been set up all over the crisply browning grass. And inside, trapped behind a towering stack of cupcake boxes that rival her in size, Kenzie was trying exceptionally hard not to lose her mind.
Read More » good morning, cyberspace!
Last week, we opened up nominations for this year’s 2022 Silmaril Awards Category, Most Mischievous Imp! Over the course of five days, we received over forty nominations for this category. Which means I now have 40+ Imps wreaking havoc on my little house…
*BANG!* *CRACK!* *SMASH!*
Heh… *eye twitch* Well that certainly sounded fine. Everything is definitely under control right now… Ahem.
So! With nominations now closed, it is my greatest pleasure to tell you that voting begins TODAY! The public has spoken. The top five nominees have been selected. The rest of these imps are getting sent home. And I may now share the characters who are getting sent through to the voting round!
Read More » good morning, peasants!
I have some very exciting news for you all today, which I’m sure will bring much enthusiastic squealing from readers of the fantastical persuasion! It is my greatest pleasure to tell you all that I am once again helping host the Silmaril Awards right here on the blogsphere! I’ve helped host this event for the past two years–housing everything from Most Nefarious Villains to the Wisest of Counselors–and I’ve gotta tell ya: nothing eats you out of house and home quite like it. (though I must admit the Counselors at least had SOME manners. Though their wisdom does wear on one after a while.)
This year, however, I shall be hosting the award for Most Mischievous Imp! Which… yeah. Pretty sure I’m going to have to get better insurance before they start coming in swarms.
Read More »
good morning, peasants!
Well, folks, the day has finally come! My very dear friend, Madeline, is releasing her very first book child out into the universe today! I am so incredibly excited to help spread the news of this delightful little book’s release, and I hope all of you will join me in congratulating and supporting Madeline in this huge, incredible step towards her author career!
Congratulations, Madeline! I am so proud of you, my beautiful friend! <333
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IMPRINT by Madeline J. Rose
the blurb
Like so many bookworms, Paige Turner loves escaping into the world of stories. However,
unlike other bookworms, she can literally escape into the world of stories through the ink on the
pages.
When two strange men set out to kidnap Paige and her friend Markus, she is terrified. So used to hiding from her problems in the world of books, Paige doesn’t know what to do when the trouble begins to spill into her real life. And when the danger looms and threatens the safety of her family, she realizes that terrified or not, she must fight back. And to do that, Paige and Markus must use the gifts to discover why these strange men are after two innocent teenagers. But the truth turns out to be far stranger than fiction, and it twists their entire world upside down. Can Paige find the strength to battle her anxiety and use her extraordinary gift…or will she lose everything and everyone she ever cared about?
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buy the book!
All right, friends, now it’s time for the links! For those of you who’d like to join me in supporting Madeline and journeying through fiction and fate alongside Paige and Markus, here are the links through which you can purchase IMPRINT!
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about madeline j. rose
Madeline is an author and a believer living with her family in the town of Annandale, Minnesota.
For over ten years, she has worked on improving her craft and writing many, many stories. Imprint was one of her first ideas she thought had potential, so she decided to begin a story that she would end up working on for over nine years. Along with writing, she enjoys reading, music, and cooking. She has an A.A.S. in Multimedia Design Technology and uses her degree as a freelance graphic designer who owns her own design firm, Inklings LLC. She also runs a small sticker business on Etsy called RaspberryMilkCo. You can sign up for her newsletter to become a part of her journey here.
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Friends, I am SO excited to get this book in my hands! Madeline has been working on it tirelessly for so long, and I can’t even begin to imagine how amazing it must be to finally have her own book child out in the universe. Not to mention the immense level of pride I feel in being here to support her and her authorly dreams! I remember conversations from oh so many years ago where we both expressed our desires to someday be published authors… and now!
Madeline, I am so incredibly proud of you. You did it, girl! You did the thing! I hope you enjoy this most splenderific day to the fullest, because you deserve every ounce of happiness, rest, and–you guessed it–COOKIES! *flings cookies at your face in celebration*
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talk to me, peasants!
What’s a new release you’re excited to devour this year? Let’s talk about all of the things down in the comments below, my friends! And until next time…
* flings cookies in the air and disappears *
good morning, cyberspace!
Occasionally, something incredibly exciting happens in the blogging world which makes me feel so humbled and honored to be a part of this delightful community. Today is one of those things.
Today, I have received the unbelievable honor to help host a cover reveal for one of my OG blogging friends, Madeline J. Rose! Her book child, IMPRINT, is a wild roller coaster of fantasy and fiction, and I am so excited to finally have it available on shelves!
Also, can we just take a moment to appreciate how exciting it is to see the careers of my blogging friends take off and sprout wings? Madeline is such a talented, beautiful human, and it feels so right for her to be publishing this book which she’s poured years of her life into crafting. I’m so proud of her and blessed to be a part of this little book’s adventure out into the great sea of literature!
So without further ado, on to the cover reveal! *throws confetti and cookies everywhere*
Read More »
good morning, cyberspace!
It’s that time of year again, folks! December is the perfect time to reflect and review the year behind us, and all across the blogosphere, posts are popping up of everyone’s favorite (and least favorite?) reads of 2021.
So naturally I’m going to jump on the bandwagon and join them! I read some INCREDIBLE books this year–one of which isn’t even published yet, and I am MAD because it would SO have made it onto my top 5…–and I just really want to squeal about them for five billion years, okay. XD Don’t judge me, please. But DEFINITELY read these books if you haven’t already, because y’all. They were GOOD.
*while numbered, these are not listed in chronological order of favorite to least favorite. I unfortunately have a painfully hard time choosing among my children, and therefore they are numbered simply for ease of reading
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MY FAVORITE READS OF 2021
THE LIGHTNING THIEF – Rick Riordan
Y’all. I am so excited to finally be reading this series! I’ve heard SUCH good things about it for years and years, but I never thought it was one that I should pick up and dive into.
But I’ve never been more happy to say that I. WAS. WRONG.
A very good friend of mine somehow convinced me to give this series a try earlier this year since he was–at the time–re-reading it, and I’ve honestly been hooked ever since. I breezed through The Lightning Thief within a single day, snagged Sea Of Monsters from my friend and devoured that one, too, and now I’m on Titan’s Curse! It took me a little longer to get into the third book with the same enthusiasm that I had with the first two, but I’m happy to say that after reading some other books begging for my attention, I’m fully invested in Titan’s Curse and am well on my way to finishing it before the week’s out!
UPDATE: Titan’s Curse has been completed. I am now resorting to bribery to get the fourth novel from said aforementioned friend.
AN ECHO OF THE FAE – Jenelle Schmidt
I think I’ve mentioned this book on the blog sometime this year, but since I can’t remember which post it was in, we’re mentioning it again! An Echo Of The Fae was quite honestly one of the sweetest, gentlest stories I’ve read in a really, really long time. It has all the soft magic you could possibly ask for from a Middle Grade, while also diving into deep truths such as faith, family, and never letting go of those we love.
This book is beautiful in so many ways, both inside and out, and I HIGHLY recommend this one to anyone looking for a soft, whimsical read.
HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE – Diana Wynn Jones
I HAVE FINALLY READ HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE, GUYS!!! I’ve been screaming at myself for YEARS to read this book–and quite honestly I’ve had people (gently) screaming at me to read this, as well–but it wasn’t until this year that I actually picked it up and read it from front to back. And, once again, I realized just how much I’d been missing out on.
Howl is one of the funniest, quirkiest, cleverest books I’ve ever read. There’s a fantasticalness about the story and its characters that sucks you in and refuses to let go, and even now, months after finishing it, I’m constantly reflecting on bits and pieces of this story. How soon is TOO soon to reread a story which has stolen your heart, by the way? Two months? Three? I’m suffering from Howl withdrawal over here, folks. XD (I mean I know I could read the sequels but it’s not the sammmmmmmeeeeee)
GEMINA – Jay Kristoff and Amy Kaufman
…I honestly don’t know if I have any words for this book. It was everything that Illuminae was–creepy, horrifying, edge-of-your-seat-and-nail-bitingly soul-snatching–and yet… somehow it was so much more…?
If you’ve never read this series, I literally cannot recommend it enough. It takes a second to get into the swing of the storytelling–especially if you’re not used to an epistolary format–but trust me when I tell you that once the story grabs hold of you, there is quite literally no letting you go. Ever. You’re on the Illuminae ship for life, and there is no better place to be.
Also there’s t-shirts.
THE GRAVEYARD BOOK – Neil Gaiman
This book has been on my TBR for FOREVER, but I finally managed to get to it this year! And by golly, what a wonderful book it was.
Not gonna lie, the prose was a LITTLE slow at times, making it a little bit of a mellow-paced read compared to, say, Gemina (a.k.a. one that I binged in two days), but the gentleness of this story almost makes it that much more spooky once you start to read it. I absolutely LOVE Gaiman’s writing style. In fact, it’s kind of what I want to do with my own stories. It has a sort of Tim Burton flair to it that I wasn’t necessarily expecting, and the fact that this book was essentially The Jungle Book but in a graveyard just made the whole thing so much better. XD
IT WILL JUST BE US – Jo Kaplan
This book was… interesting? I never thought I would be a lover–let alone READER–of Gothic Horror. In fact, had you told me five years ago that I would willingly pick up a book that looked like it was going to give me nightmares for days, I probably would have laughed and stabbed you in the toe with a spork. BUT. Here we are.
It Will Just Be Us was–again–a bit of a slower read. apparently 2021 was a year for slow-paced books?The prose was a little too purple for my taste at times, but more often than not, the writing pulled me in and made this eerie hollow tale even more chilling.
Of course, with this book technically being considered “adult”, there was some swearing sprinkled throughout (*insert intense eye roll here*), but for the most part, this book was captivating, haunting, and–more often than not–had me hanging on the edge of my seat. Nothing prepared me for that ending, either. I don’t know what I was expecting to happen, but it… decidedly was not that. Aha.
CONTENT WARNING: If you have a queasy stomach, I would highly recommend letting this one slide. This book is not for the faint of heart, and it definitely made me squirm uneasily more than once. There was also some cussing throughout, which was annoying. But other than that, this book was definitely among my favorite reads of the year, and a huge recommend to anyone who loves creepy mansions, ghosts, and mysteries behind locked doors….
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HONORABLE MENTIONS
Despite not making it in my list of Top Favorites, these three Honorable Mentions made my reader heart so happy this year!
ENTWINED – Heather Dixon
A reread, but still one of my favorite books of all time! I’m obsessed with the Twelve Dancing Princesses, as well as Bramble and Lord Teddy and just ALL of the members of this adorable cast… It’s also equal parts adorable and horrifying, and I love the complexity of that.
ROMANOV – Nadine Brandes
This was my first Brandes, and, might I just say, I am hooked. Nadine’s writing style picks you up and transports you seamlessly to another world, and learning the true story behind the Romanovs (followed shortly by Nadine’s excellent interpretation of what may have happened later) was both sweet and sad all at the same time. I loved this book dearly, and I’m VERY excited to read more of her work in 2022!
A GOOD GIRL’S GUIDE TO MURDER – Holly Jackson
This book was definitely a surprise for me! I bought it on a whim (yay Barnes and Noble!) and maybe sorta kinda binged it within three days… (oops?) I honestly don’t know where my enthusiasm for murder mysteries and gothic horror came from this year, but I am LOVING the eeriness of it all…
This book, while definitely staying true to its fast-paced, page-turner YA brethren, was a wild roller coaster ride from start to finish, which was just what I needed to get out of my reading slump in October! I also wasn’t able to predict the ending, which was a bonus, AND, despite there being a small romance that blossomed in the middle of the book, IT DIDN’T TAKE OVER THE PLOT!!!
GUYS! FINALLY A YA BOOK WITH A GOOD PLOT THAT DOESN’T GET RUINED BY ROMANCE!! Do you realize how happy this makes my heart? DO YOU REALIZE????
It was incredible. I’m amazed. 10/10. 5 stars.
(actually only like 4 stars, but who’s counting. not me, clearly.)
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talk to me, peasants!
what sorts of stories did YOU consume this year? any genres you weren’t expecting to fall madly in love with? what’s a book you would highly recommend to literally everyone? (*cough* percy jackson *cough*) and most importantly of all…
have you read any of the books on this list?
Specifically Illuminae/Gemina and Percy Jackson. I need people to squeal with, apparently…
As always, let’s talk about ALL OF THE BOOKISH THINGS! down in the comments below! And until next time…
* flings cookies in the air and disappears *
good morning, cyberspace!
I woke up the other morning to sunshine gleaming through my window, birdsong sparkling through the air, and the sound and smell (yes, smell) of the air conditioner filtering through the house.
In other words, summer is nigh upon us, and I figured it’s time to start plotting out which books I want to read this season!
I don’t know the logistics behind it, but I find that my excitement for reading strengthens tenfold during the summer. It’s like even though my life gets busier, I’m STILL able to find more time to read than I do during the winter/spring. It literally makes no sense, and yet…? I’m oddly okay with this. XD I love reading. I love summer. And sitting out on my front porch with a good book in my lap and a cat clawing at my feet is literally one of the best ways to spend my free time. #selfcare
So! Over the past few days I’ve been scribbling down which books I’d like to read during the summer, and today, I thought I’d share that (rather extensive) list with you all! Obviously it will be a miracle if I even end up reading HALF of the books on this list, but as of right now, I’m confident I can read at least three of them.
…
…
I’m a relatively slow reader, okay, don’t judge me. XD
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MY SUMMER TBR PILE
THE NEWBIES
THE LIGHTNING THIEF by Rick Riordan
Believe it or not, I have yet to finish a Percy Jackson novel. …or anything written by Rick Riordan, for that matter. And I KNOW this is basically an atrocity to all reader-kind, of course, but allow me to explain the why’s behind it:
In a similar vein to the way Harry Potter was frowned upon in many Christian communities when it first came forth (unless you, like my family, realized it’s actually super cool and became lowkey obsessed with it), I always kind of looked at Percy Jackson–which is filled with Greek Mythology–and thought, “huh. blasphemous.” And I’m really not sure why I ever thought this, because it’s just mythology. The concept of such things is actually highly intriguing to most individuals. But there was something about it that made me feel funny, and therefore I stuck to Hogwarts and wizardry and stayed far, FAAAAAAR away from Camp Half-Blood. (because reading about witchcraft is so much more normal than reading about a kid who’s the son of Poseidon [or whoever Percy is related to. I think it’s the fish-dude {anyway. moving on.}])
But now that I’m a little bit older and a little bit wiser, I’ve since realized that I seriously missed out when it comes to the Percy Jackson stories. It’s essentially a classic Middle Grade series, and I–being the odd child that I was–completely passed it by. So now that I’m in my 20’s and clearly much more mature than I was all those years ago, I’m gonna read the book with the fish boy and the fawn kid with the funny boots. (I feel like I’m totally butchering this storyline, but HUZZAH. we shall see just how much of this I got right once I start reading. XD)
PETER PAN by JM Barrie
Believe it or not, despite my severe and unquenchable love for Peter Pan, I’ve never actually read Peter Pan. And this is CLEARLY an abomination which must be fixed immediately. I can’t go around touting a love for something I’ve technically never read, now can I?
(I mean, obviously I can because I’ve been doing it for years now but SHUSH. No one needs to think about this that hard. It’s fine. Everything is totally fine.)
Ahem. Moving on.
KING’S WARRIOR by Jenelle Schmidt (audiobook)
Okay, so this is one that I’m SO SO excited about. Jenelle’s fantasy series, Minstrel’s Song, JUST finished releasing in audiobook format, and it is my desire to read ALL of the audiobooks this year. But specifically this summer. XD
I have 20 minute long commutes to work (both ways), so that’s a total of 40 minutes of drive time every single time I’m scheduled to work. Despite the fact that I normally listen to music on my way to and from the coffee shop, it has since come to my attention that my time may be better spent jamming out to some super cool audiobooks–specifically ones about dragons and fantastical lands and SWORDS AND FIGHTING AND–
….to be honest, I’m a little nervous that I’ll get so emotionally invested in the story that I’ll crash, but eh. It’s fine. At least I’ll be slaying a dragon at the same time. XD
Okay okay, but in all seriousness, I really want to try listening to audiobooks during my drives! If I can listen to my ’tis but a bop playlist with my windows down while screaming Crocodile Rock at the top of my lungs, I’m pretty sure I can listen to an audiobook without anything truly awful happening.
…right? Right.
GEMINA by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kauffman
I read the first book in this series during the very beginnings of the *cough* plague *cough*. And for anyone who has read ILLUMINAE, I’m sure you can understand why reading such a book during a time in which a global pandemic was raging around the universe was scarring to say the least. I am therefore prone to believe that anything which happens in this series will inexplicably come to life and affect my real world whenever I read it. It’s a very terrifying situation I’ve found myself within, my friends.
But alas. We are going to continue along with the series, nevertheless. XD I sincerely apologize to anyone who has read GEMINA and knows the horrors which I’m about to release upon the real world. I simply cannot resist reading this novel any longer, I’m afraid.
THE REREADS
HARRY POTTER YEARS 4-7
Technically these are all rereads, and I SUPPOSE if I wanted to challenge myself less, I could just….delete these from my TBR. But, guys, I’m SO excited to be rereading this series, and I can’t possibly put it down now! My lovely friend, Christine, has been buddy reading these books with me, and it is just such a breath of fresh air for me right now. Getting to re-experience the world of Harry Potter with such a dear friend has been an experience of a lifetime.
I also just finished reading Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban, and getting to see Remus and Sirius again made my heart oh so happy! While I love all of the Harry Potter’s dearly, Year 3 is definitely my favorite. There’s something about that book that just fills me with all of the warm fuzzies. XD
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talk to me, peasants!
And there you have it–my summer 2021 TBR pile! I’m absolutely positive I won’t be able to read ALL of these before the sun sets on the last day of summer, but like … a girl can dream, right? XD
So! What kinds of books are YOU planning on reading over the next few months? Pop down into the comments and tell me all about your wildest reading adventures! And until next time, as always…
*flings cookies in the air and disappears*
good morning, cyberspace!
If you follow me on any of my social media platforms, you PROBABLY already know what this here post is about. Recently, I was contacted by my lovely friend, Jenelle, to help spread the news about her first ever audiobook release, and today, my dearest of peasants, I’m finally able to do so!
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children and the proverbial monsters beneath their beds……
KING’S WARRIOR IS NOW AN AUDIOBOOK!!
Y’all, I am so ridiculously excited for this. I’ve been wanting to dip my toes into the audiobook world for a LOOOOONG time now (hello, multitasking!), but I just … haven’t done it yet? But Jenelle recently released the first book in her Minstrel’s Song series as an audiobook, and GUYS. I AM SO SO EXCITED TO READ IT.
Or … listen to it? Eh, we don’t care about proper terminology ’round here. XD
Not gonna lie, there’s something about audiobooks that lowkey freaks me out. Not being able to read the story at my own pace, not being able to feel the pages beneath my fingers, not hearing the voices as I would have imagined them in my head … it’s all so strange to me, and I’ve only ever truly completed one audiobook in my life because of it. (it was The Giver and I am still emotionally scarred from that novel, folks.)
However, with that being said, Jenelle has said that she specifically wrote King’s Warrior–and the entire Minstrel’s Song series, I do believe–with the intent for it to be read aloud. And even just listening to the audible sample (link below!), I can honestly say I see what she means. The narration of this book literally whisks you away within seconds of hitting play. I’ve never experienced that with an audiobook before–it always felt more stilted than anything–so I’m extremely excited to continue listening to this book and–once I’m done–write a review for it! And I definitely cannot wait for the rest of the series to become audiobooks, as well. (the rest of the series is currently in the works to become audiobooks, and GUYS. THIS PLEASES ME GREATLY.)
But anyway! I think that’s quite enough rambling from me. Let’s take a peek at the actual story, shall we? XD
ABOUT THE BOOK
The hope of their world rests on the steel at his side….
Threat of invasion looms. Oraeyn dreams of glory on the battlefield.
Instead, he must engage in a battle of wills with a headstrong princess while ushering her to safety (and boredom) in a small village. But they must put aside their differences to save their homeland and complete the second part of their mission: seek out the legendary King’s Warrior to persuade him to take up arms once more.When their journey leads them to the lost realm of the dragons they get
more adventure than either of them bargained for!
LISTEN TO A SAMPLE OF THE AUDIOBOOK!
ABOUT THE NARRATOR
Benjamin Fife has always had a passion for learning. With a mind that
remembers all sorts of numbers and useless trivia, he regularly wins local
radio shows and enjoys confusing people with sci-fi quotes. Fife grew up in
Southeast Idaho. He attended college at Idaho State University, where he
met his future wife in their music theory class. They have been married nearly 20 years and now have six children and a whole menagerie of
animals.
When his oldest daughter was three or four years old they started reading
aloud from novels every night at bedtime, and have continued the tradition
ever since. The family loves exploring various worlds and topics through
Fife’s wonderful reading skills, which get better every year. They all have
his Christmas Carol voices memorized (and the older kids are known to
quote along with portions), since he has read it to them every December.
Benny enjoys all kinds of sci-fi and fantasy – both books and shows, is an
extreme eclectic music lover, and prefers his chocolate to be of the 90%
cocoa variety. Above all, he loves to be with his family. He loves recording
audio books, and is delighted to tell people, “I’ve finally found what I want to be when I grow up!”
WEBSITE
LISTEN TO A SAMPLE OF KING’S WARRIOR
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jenelle first fell in love with stories through her father’s voice reading books
aloud each night. A relentless opener-of-doors in hopes of someday finding
a passage to Narnia, it was only natural that she soon began making up
fantastical realms of her own. Jenelle currently resides in the wintry tundra of Wisconsin —which she maintains is almost as good as Narnia — with
her knight-in-shining armor and their four hobbits. When she is not writing, she homeschools said hobbits and helps them along on their daily
adventures… which she says makes her a wizard.
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Well, I do believe that’s all I’ve got for today, but before I officially sign off, I just want to say a HUGE congratulations to Jenelle for the release of her first ever audiobook! I’ve said this before, and I’ll probably say it a million times more, but you are literally my fairy godmother when it comes to all things publishing, and I am so impossibly blessed to have you and your stories in my life! Thank you for sharing your beautiful imagination with the world. <333
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talk to me, peasants!
All right, folks! Let’s talk all things audiobooks! Do you listen to audiobooks often, or do you prefer to read physical copies of stories? If you’re an avid audiobook listener, what are some of your favorite audiobooks to read? And for all my Nano-ing friends out there, how is NaNoWriMo going for you? I am currently very behind on my goal, but my heart is happy and I’m actually managing to stay sort of on top of the many things Life has decided to throw my way, so I’m not too upset about it. XD
As always, let’s talk about ALL of the things down in the comments below, and until next time…
good morning, cyberspace!
Recently I was contacted by the ever lovely, potentially magical Jenelle Schmidt in regards to The Silmaril Awards–a yearly blog event which is, essentially, a giant Oscars for Fantasy Characters. (why, yes, you did read that right. it is an OSCARS for FANTASY CHARACTERS. *initiate intense flailing*)
The Question: Would I help host one of the nomination categories for the Silm Awards this year?
The Answer: ASDFGHJKL OH MY GOODNESS YES SLDKFASDLFKVODKJSDOKJ THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE OH MY GOODNESS ME YES ABSOLUTELY!!!!
…or something to that affect, anyway.
As far as the Silmaril Awards go, I’ve always seen it floating vaguely across the expanse of the blogosphere each year, but I’ve never really participated. That is, I haven’t participated until this year. Because now, not only am I participating, but I’m also one of the co-hosts, and–this is the best part, folks–I’m in charge of hosting the villains category!!!!
I won’t go into too much detail on all this amazingness today, but I do want to share a few important pieces of information regarding the awards and how to participate!
First of all, nominations for the awards officially open up on AUGUST 31, so if you’re like me and have a tendency to forget important dates such as this until, like, three weeks later, MAKE SURE TO WRITE THIS ONE DOWN. Put it in your planner. Mark it on your calendar. Make a reminder on your phone. I’ve done literally all three of these, and so help me if I forget it, I will physically eat my left foot.
You can find all of the hosting blogs in the graphic below, which was designed by Jenelle and is actually the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. (in case you guys can’t tell, I absolutely adore this girl. she’s the best and her books and posts literally never cease to make me smile and warm my heart, so if you haven’t started following her yet … do it. do it now.)
So on August 31st, make sure to swing by each of these blogs and nominate your favorite fantasy characters for every award! (I think that’s how this works, anyway. can you tell I’m a newb? *pats NEWB badge nicely*)
Second piece of exciting information: there’s actually going to be a BOOKSTAGRAM CHALLENGE (#SilmarilAwards2020) this year! I’m doubly excited for this one, because I’ve … actually never participated in an instagram challenge before? At least, I’ve never completed an instagram challenge. probably because I am actually just a very smol bean sprout growing in a garden and there’s extremely poor internet way out here, so.
But this time I’m going to be both participating AND completing, and I think we can all agree that this is a very big promise for the Queen of Procrastination and Anxiety, but I digress. IT SHALL HAPPEN. *shakes fist at sky*
For dates and prompts, check out the graphic below (also created by Jenelle, who I now believe is not only a smol magical fairy, but a graphic-making genius, as well):
The challenge runs from the 24th of August to the 4th of September, with breaks on the weekends. (which is good, because I’m gonna NEED those. XD) I’m already beginning to collect my notes and try to figure out which characters I want to screm about over on my instagram page (@thesmudgedthoughts), so if you’re not already following me over there, make sure to check my page out! It’s still very smol and cute, but eventually I want to start sharing more about my WIPs and my writing progress over there!
And I think that’s all I’ve got for now? I’ll try to keep you all posted on any new developments as they come, but for now you can find more information about the awards over on the official website!
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talk to me, peasants!
EEP!! I am SO. INCREDIBLY. EXCITED. for this, you guys!!! Words literally cannot describe it. And I sincerely hope y’all will come and help vote in the most Nefarious Villain. It’s going to be AMAZING and I’m so ready for it!
Also a huge thank you to Jenelle for thinking of me when she needed another host?? Just….thank you. My heart is so full right now, and I’ve spent the last week preparing my guest room for all the villains who are undoubtedly going to become my new best friends. (this is going to be an AMAZING time, guys. seriously. I even baked cookies.)
I unfortunately don’t have any questions for today, but feel free to hit me up with all your recent writing/life-ish escapades! My next post is going to be filled with my OWN adventures, so … stay tuned for that, I guess. *sweats nervously*
Until next time. . .
Hello, Cyberspace! This is just gonna be a quick little post to help promote a 12-hour read-a-thon/fundraiser hosted by my lovely friends, Ally and Stassia, tomorrow afternoon at 12 pm EST! All donations received during the read-a-thon will go towards building a group home for orphans in North Macedonia, and the book they’re reading–My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She’s Sorry–looks absolutely adorable, and I just. . .!!! I am so excited for this, guys, you have no idea.
If you want to find out more about the read-a-thon, you can do so here. And if you’re interested in the overall project of building a home for orphans in North Macedonia, then you can find information about that and how to help on this page right here!
And for anyone interested in following along with the read-a-thon tomorrow, here’s the link to the youtube channel where the read-a-thon will be held!
(also also also, that amazing graphic up there was made by Stassia, and I just. . .??? IT IS GORGEOUS??? Please teach me your skill, girl, because my graphics are never this amazing. XD)
But anyway, I think that’s everything! If I remember something I forgot to include, I’ll pop it into an edit later. XD Wishing you all the bestest of Wednesdays and the most beautiful of weeks. . .!
— Kenzie
Smudged Thoughts 
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