Author: Destiny Vandeput

Digital Marketer by day/Writer by night.
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Drafting While Kids Are on Break

Drafting while your kids are on Christmas break is not easy.

I try to sneak away for a bit here and there, but let’s be honest, the holidays are about family and so writing time has to be compromised.

For me, when I need a few hours to get down some words, I tell the kids to not bother me unless someone is bleeding or choking (mine are old enough to do this) and I make sure it’s after a meal time. THEN… are you ready for some real talk?

I lock the door to my room and put my music on really loud.

So far, no one has died or suffocated or choked as a result of me writing for a few hours.

I call that a win.

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Merry Christmas everyone!!

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Series Recommendation: Seven Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima

6342491Hardcover, 506 pages
Published October 6th 2009 by Hyperion Books
Summary:
Times are hard in the mountain city of Fellsmarch. Reformed thief Han Alister will do almost anything to eke out a living for his family. The only thing of value he has is something he can’t sell—the thick silver cuffs he’s worn since birth. They’re clearly magicked—as he grows, they grow, and he’s never been able to get them off.
One day, Han and his clan friend, Dancer, confront three young wizards setting fire to the sacred mountain of Hanalea. Han takes an amulet from Micah Bayar, son of the High Wizard, to keep him from using it against them. Soon Han learns that the amulet has an evil history—it once belonged to the Demon King, the wizard who nearly destroyed the world a millennium ago. With a magical piece that powerful at stake, Han knows that the Bayars will stop at nothing to get it back.
Meanwhile, Raisa ana‘Marianna, princess heir of the Fells, has her own battles to fight. She’s just returned to court after three years of freedom in the mountains—riding, hunting, and working the famous clan markets. Raisa wants to be more than an ornament in a glittering cage. She aspires to be like Hanalea—the legendary warrior queen who killed the Demon King and saved the world. But her mother has other plans for her…
The Seven Realms tremble when the lives of Hans and Raisa collide, fanning the flames of the smoldering war between clans and wizards.

My Thoughts:

So I KNOW you’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but this series (although released in 2009) just looked out of date to me.

I kept coming across recommendations for it, but it took me a bit to actually read. And I’m SO glad I did! This book really has the kind of story that grips you and – the best part – the series is complete and so you can read it from start to finish!

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Disney World Reads!

Guess where I am?

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Yup! We managed to pull off a huge family surprise and surprised my kids with a trip to Disney World! 24 Hours after we got there, we surprised them with my parents and brother showing up… then 24 hours later my sister and her family (which happen to be my kids’ BFFs) showed up! It was magical and SOOOOO much fun!

But I had to sneak on the blog to say that I’m still tearing through the Lunar Chronicles. I just got to Cress (book 3)… it’s so great guys!

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And these covers… GORGEOUS! Check out the cover for book 2, Scarlet:

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Each book centers around a different main protagonist (which correlates to a fairy tale if you can’t pick up from the covers) and they are all so uniquely amazing and I love them all!

I can’t wait for Winter, which I think may have the most beautiful cover of them all…

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Okay, back to the family and Disney, but seriously guys! These books! ahh!

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Book Recommendation: Cinder (Lunar Chronicles) by Marissa Meyer

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Hardcover, 452 pages
Published February 5th 2013 by Feiwel and Friends
Summary:
Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive.
Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.
My Thoughts:
This is another series that is highly loved that I’m late in the game to read. It actually just completed (book 4 just came out) and so I’m going to get to binge read the ENTIRE series (yay!). This is so incredibly unique and lovely and you’re going to adore Cinder. This is the most unique fairy re-telling I’ve read… I think ever? I love how Cinder is strong and not the normal weak/wish-washy Cinderella characters. She’s amazing and I can’t wait to finish the series!