Week In Review: Waiting on Sunrise

Saturday, March 31, 2018

Credit: holyspirit.nz
Happy Easter, folks! 

So this week was essentially a compilation of things I needed to do and, for one reason or another, didn't or couldn't.

Or didn't *want* to do.

Namely, the essay one professor tossed on us due Monday, that wasn't mentioned until Monday. 

And the surprise mini-assignment the same professor popped on us Friday night (at 10:30 PM) due the day after Easter... Monday. 
Credit: Disney's Tangled / Pinterest 
That aside.

Currently reading: Ivy Malone Mystery Series (see last week) and Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (not by choice, but college dictates that I do...)

Current Bible verse: see above ^^^ and remember the reason for the season!

Currently writing: My Compass Home and the plot for another book, Project Remember Me.  Not to mention a few poems for journal submissions to Sigma Tau Delta (the English honor society I'm in) and poems for a college  contest.  And some works for a book of short stories, poetry, etc.  And the 150th anniversary play I mentioned. 
I don't know how many words I wrote.  I *am* words, for all I know at this point.  Oy vey.  Not to mention the writing I wanted to get done, but haven't for one reason or another. 

Not to mention the less-than-defunct websites I need to use for taxes.  Enjoy the jobless life, kids; it's no fun paying taxes or even having to file them. 

But hey.  There's a rare glimpse of the sun out today and I'm thankful for it...This week I was almost positive the weather patterns changed and we were living in Washington state's weather now. 

Anyway, I hope you guys have a splendid and blessed Easter weekend!  What are your plans?  And what's your process for plotting new books?  Sound off in the comments! 

Review: "A Novel Idea" from Tyndale House

Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Hey guys!  So recently, I mentioned that I was reading A Novel Idea.  It was so good that I decided to write a quick review of it for you guys. 
Honestly, for the price ($4.99 from Christian Books plus shipping, but you can find it for even less on Amazon or ThriftBooks) it provided a lot more than I expected it to.  It is not your typical "how-to" book that provides ho-hum advice you probably already knew.  It provides an absolute dearth of information for writers of Christian fiction, and offers multiple perspectives from published, best-selling Christian authors including Terri Blackstock and Karen Kingsbury.

You'll read about everything from plotting and understanding your audience to learning how to speedwrite through your first draft and then flesh it out.  You'll learn about writing perfectly flawed characters, realistic scenarios, point-of-view (and what it is, as well as why it's important) and how to engage the senses.  Then you'll read about becoming part of a writer's community and the benefits of different communities you can join; how to work with a publishing team and accept rejections, how to format and submit a manuscript, work with an agent, and basically everything you'd ever need to know about the traditional publishing world!  Finally, you'll read about marketing and blogging tips as well as a how-to for your first writer's conference.

If you ever purchase any book on writing Christian fiction, this is the book you'll want to read.  It covers an incredibly broad spectrum, but it still covers the topics very well and often offers different perspectives on each issue, as told by each author that wrote the specific section.  The content itself is interesting to read as well, not just for the tips but simply because the writers put life into the posts.  They included their own perspectives and stories to increase understanding.  They also included a "Resources" section  in the back of the book for similar books on writing Christian fiction, and even included a link for a good website to look up names for characters. 

All in all, I'm glad I purchased this book.  I'm a tad wary of "how-to" books because most of the time, they're dry as the Sahara and only include information that I'm already privy to, since I've been writing since I was a little kid and already know what paragraphs and commas are!  However, since it was written by several authors rather than just one, I think it helped a lot, both for confirming strategies I use as well as giving me ideas for new ones.  I highly, highly recommend it; if I could give it more than 5 stars on Goodreads, I would!

Have you read this book yet, or are you planning to?  Have you read a 'how-to' book that was particularly helpful to you (or particularly unhelpful)? 

Week in Review: Spring, Thou Art a Liar

Saturday, March 24, 2018

Well, I survived the week.  
Credit: The Big Bang Theory, Pinterest
...I don't anticipate next week to be very enjoyable as far as college classes go, since one professor still hasn't posted the midterm and I know it's coming...someday...somehow...

And aside from that, I got my class schedule for next semester figured out.  

Which starts my senior year as an undergrad. 
Credit: TBBT/Reactiongifs.com
Anyway. 

Currently reading: My Hero by Debbie Macomber and the Ivy Malone Mystery Series by Lorena McCourtney.  

Currently writing: My Compass Home and scholarship entries this week.  Oh, and a couple of opinion articles for the college newspaper. 

Current Bible verse: Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you -- Joshua 1:9 NIV.  One of my favorite verses.  One that I think a lot of people need to remember in this day and age, especially with the news being twisted every which slant *ahem* Did I just say that out loud?  

Anyway...this week was pretty quiet, all in all, aside from a rapid-onset cold I developed and the Nor'Easter we got, ironically during the first day of spring.  I for one am ready to go outside and actually do something with my horses rather than sitting inside on my computer kind of Gollum-style.

And on that note, how was your week, guys? 

Oh, and if you're interested, Welcome Home is on sale today (Kindle version only) for $1.99 until tomorrow at 11 AM, when it will go up to $2.99 until Monday (which is still on sale from $3.99).  


KINDLE COUNTDOWN: Welcome Home

Friday, March 23, 2018

Hey everyone! 
This weekend, there's going to be a Kindle Countdown promo for the first book in the Faith, Hope, and Love collection.  If you're excited to read My Compass Home, here's your chance to buy Welcome Home for your Kindle! Click HERE. 

Pricing Schedule: 

Friday, March 23: $0.99 from 11 AM EST to 11 AM EST 3/24
Saturday, March 24: $1.99 from 11 AM EST to 11 AM EST 3/25
Sunday, March 25: $2.99 from 11 AM EST to 11 AM EST 3/26
Monday, March 26: Back to normal $3.99 price.  

Make sure to snag a copy and leave a review!
 

The Road to "My Compass Home": Lucy's Colorful Quirks

Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Perhaps one of my favorite aspects of writing this series is Lucy's quirk of associating colors with moods.  It was inspired by the psychological synesthesia, in which the senses are intertwined for some folks.  Hearing colors, especially among musicians, is one of many traits in this condition.  While Lucy does not have synesthesia, she associates colors with how she feels because she's a painter.  The world is this gal's canvas, and her favorite past-time is thinking about how she'd paint the day or mood.

The process for writing this is actually pretty fun, once a small understanding of color psychology is developed.  While writing Welcome Home and now My Compass Home, I found that the more I thought about why Lucy was thinking about a certain splash of color here and there, the more I was able to connect her senses with the scene.  You have to know your scenery, of course, but thinking about it in-depth when you're so used to living in that realm (at least mentally while you're writing it) really helps bring out certain little things that she might notice that could spark a colorful inspiration for her.
While it takes a little bit of extra work to "brainstorm" what Lucy's senses would be picking up on, and what colors could be associated with them, I am very glad that I included it in the final draft.  I don't know about you guys, but after I set the book aside for awhile and picked it back up again to reread and begin plotting the second book, it felt like a very whimsical, lighthearted thing for Lucy to be thinking about, and created additional imagery that helped drive the emotional points home (thus the color psychology.) 

For now...




Doesn't that just give you imagery galore?  Notice the light pastels and spring (related to life, rebirth, growing, youth) along with the news that she's giving Spencer: it allows the reader to come to their own conclusion while almost feeling her excitement.  Either that or I'm too invested in my characters...what say you?

And if you're wondering why Lucy is tempted to tell the others before her husband, it's because she'll be seeing them a few weeks before she gets to see Spencer again.  Why?  You'll have to wait and see...

Walt's Wonderings, Part 1

Monday, March 19, 2018

January 3rd
Back to work at Louisa Jr/Sr High school.  I almost wish that we got an entire month off, like it is in college (usually, anyway) for Christmas break, but ah well.  I'll need to sock away as much money as possible, and that's what my job does.  I don't know what kind of wedding Joanna wants, nor what the cost will be, but I'm planning on having a nice little house to move into when we do get married. 

Down payment, here I come.


It's funny, really.  I've never really thought about EVERY aspect of getting married until now, but the other day, one of my tutoring students (little Daisy, who I'm quite certain is a piano prodigy) came over, noticed Joanna's ring (she stopped by to help with tutoring...liability purposes, y'know) and promptly asked where we were going to live when we got married, then what church we'd wed in...then if our magical engagement kiss was healing and powerful like in the princess movies. Amongst the childish curiosity surrounding the kiss (FYI, it was better than that) I realized the kid had a good point.

Where will we get married?
Where will we live?

Obviously, it's a logical choice to get married at the church we grew up in.  But what if we want an outdoor ceremony on the Markus farm?  That's something I can see Joanna enjoying.  But who would officiate, then, if our pastor won't?  And good heavens, where will we live?  Right now, I'd prefer to live near to my parents so I can help Mom when...you know...Dad passes.  But Jo's got a really great job offer from Mount Sterling that she just accepted, and I don't want her to have an hour's driving time either.  So we have a lot of things to consider.  Location, location, location, as they say.

But you know what?  I guess I don't really care.  Not in an apathetic kind of sense, obviously, but...I don't care because whatever happens, even if I have to drive an hour to check in on my Mom and Lexi, or even if we panic under the weight of figuring out our first mortgage...whatever happens, we'll be a team.  I'm dedicated to making sure nothing like October ever happens again, and she is too.  And I love her all the more for it.  (And gosh, to finally be able to kiss her?  Wow.) 
Back on the kissing stuff, I can tell she's still a little nervous, and granted her history, I can't blame her.  But she tries to hide this cute little grin ever time I ask if I can kiss her--which I always do--and the other day, she kissed me with no warning.  No awkward shuffling or deep breaths, she just hopped up on her tiptoes, gave me a peck, and then hid her crimson face.  She's moving past those memories about her uncle and Anthony (I heard his trial's starting in March, and I can't wait to see his smug self headed off to jail) and I'm proud of her for it.  I'm proud of her for a lot of things.  She's my girl, after all.    
 ...
My girl  

Week In Review: Where'd Spring Break Go?

Saturday, March 17, 2018

Well, there went spring break.  Next week I head back to my college courses, and this week is actually going to be a lot more hectic than midterms.  I was expecting a bit of a lull before the latter half of the semester kicked in, like that slow pause high up on a roller-coaster before you start plummeting headfirst back to the ground...but so much for that!  The downhill trend has begun. Image result for Chuck Bartowski annoyed gif
(Credit: NBC's Chuck, zachary_levis_legion.tumblr.com)

Ahem.

 Anyway...

Currently Reading: Well...nix this section this week, because I haven't decided which book to read yet!

Current Projects: Still working on the 150th anniversary play for my church, which I think is almost finished.  Hopefully, since I have officially less than a month before we're supposed to start practices!  I'm also working on My Compass Home and I have to write an article for Clarion University's opinion section in their newspaper this weekend as well.  (I've been a columnist for them since my freshman year at the college.)  So far (not including today, since I have a bunch of work to finish once I'm done with this blog post) I've written roughly 5,000-7,000 words this week. 

Current Bible Verse: Casting all your care [alt: anxieties] upon him, for He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7 NKJV) 'Nuff said. 

Additionally, this week I went to a musical production of The Little Mermaid at one of the local school districts.  A friend of mine from youth group was in the cast.  They did a spectacular job, and I almost wish I could buy a CD of their music!   

What did you guys do this week? 

The Road to "My Compass Home": Pinspired

Wednesday, March 14, 2018

{After The Storm by Mumford & Sons.}
Credit: Mumford & Sons lyrics,
from losing-every-extra-pound.tumblr.com

Using visual aids for your writing is always helpful.  Between nice quotes or aesthetic photos that remind you of your book or the mood you want to convey for that certain scene, it's always helpful to look up reference photos--nor is it shameful or unimaginative to need visual aids for inspiration!  I didn't begin compiling images for the Faith, Hope, and Love collection until recently, but it's been very useful.  On the left, you can see an excellent photo with lyrics from a Mumford & Sons song, "After the Storm."  I was very excited to find this on Pinterest, because it solidified a major theme throughout these books.

As you may know if you've read Welcome Home, you'll know that it was inspired by the entirety of 1 Corinthians 13. The idea for it came around in a funny way, actually.  My church's youth group was challenged to memorize the entire chapter, and for everyone who memorized the chapter, the youth group leader would donate some money to Samaritan's Purse.  As I was reading that chapter over and over again, it struck me that everyone needs to understand the depth of it; what love really is, not just the lustful, selfish ideals that are tossed around in society today.  I decided that every book I ever authored would have those themes featured prominently, but since this series was built around those verses, they are exemplified and magnified.  Whether in chapter openers or through the themes woven in the content, 1 Corinthians 13 is the foundation of the Faith, Hope, and Love collection...in case you didn't know from the title of the collection itself!  

Anyway, back to the song: this group of lyrics relates to 1 Corinthians 13 as well as the storyline for this series because it seems as if the person that the song is about has been hurt deeply on several levels, including love.  Lucy and Spence have both been affected by poor foster/adoptive homes, and in the forthcoming books, Morgan and Levi will be exploring their rocky past relationships  in light of new ones.  Yes, they must find the difference between lust and love, and in today's society, more people desire a lustful, casual relationship than selflessness, commitment, and loyalty--which are hallmarks of love as described in the Bible.  And yes, of course they have grace in their hearts--God's forgiving grace; they just have to find it and seize that forgiveness and love!

Finding God's grace in the disasters of life is always difficult, and that's another thing you'll find on my Pinterest board: a lot of quotes about heartbreak and pasts that can't be healed, nor forgotten.  It's fairly self-explanatory that these themes are explored in my books as well, but part of loving like God loves us is to understand that we can heal and that we're loved even if we don't feel like we are.   

On another note, one thing you won't find on my Pinterest board (at least, as I write this post) are character reference photos.  I saved them on my computer once upon a time, but didn't pin them, and then my computer's hard drive crashed and I lost everything.  Back up your files, guys! 

Click HERE to view my Pinterest board dedicated to the series as a whole.

All in all, Pinterest is a fantastic resource to use when you're planning out a book.  Not only can it give you visual aids, but it's also useful for exploring quotes, music lyrics, and photographs that might spark your imagination.

Do you run Pinterest boards for your stories?  Do you have other methods of compiling story inspiration?  Share them in the comments below!


Jo's Journey: Day 1

Monday, March 12, 2018

A/N (Author's Note) : I recently read from A Novel Idea about a really interesting idea, in which you write blog posts from the perspective of your characters.  Since I'm doing the "Road To 'My Compass Home'" I've decided that I'll do a blog post here and there, either "Jo's Journey" or "Walter's Wonderings" (although 'wonderings' may appear a typo, it is indeed a word defined "as in amazement"....so there, autocorrect!) Anyway, without further ado, the first post.  Oh, and I'll date these relevant to the end of Beautiful Chaos.  If you haven't read it yet, well...spoiler alert!

Jo's Journey

January 2nd

All is well in the world, I suppose...for now, anyway.  It seems as if everything's going entirely too smoothly since my return from D.C., as if the world's waiting with bated breath to snatch this newfound peace of mine away.  Christmas and New Year's has passed as if in a blur and I'm still getting used to this hefty old ring on my finger.  (Take note, I'm not bragging: it's actually heavy and old, since his grandmother wore it about 80 years ago!)  I constantly find myself tinkering with it and on one occasion, Stephanie asked if I was having second thoughts about being engaged to Walter Larkin.  Second thoughts--!  The boy's the best thing that happened to me, it's just that the ring's his grandmother's Edwardian-style rose-gold-and-pearls piece, and the pearl center is surrounded by these little white gems that make it top-heavy.  It's constantly rolling towards my palm, even though we had it resized the day after Christmas.  (Something tells me a lot of people got engaged this Christmas; the jeweler nearly rolled her eyes when we walked in!)

Regardless, back to the present-- It hasn't even truly sunken in that I'm the soon-to-be Mrs. Walter Larkin.  It just feels like I'm on break from work and I'll be shipped out to some forsaken country soon, translating threats and hoping the interrogators don't take them seriously.  I probably won't believe it, either, until after we're married and I'm certain that nothing terrible will befall us beforehand.  On the other hand, he's just ecstatic.  His father's still in London for treatment, but his mother said he's been doing well.  He's thanking me every day for coming home when he was the one that brought me back to begin with, and over New Year's he asked if I'd decided on a date for the wedding yet!  I've hardly told Alison that we're engaged yet (aside from a mysterious photo of the ring that I texted to her to indicate I was home from D.C.) and I've hardly caught my breath from the whirlwind of the past few weeks, let alone set such an important date!

I almost regret not being one of those little girls who constantly dreamed of their wedding.  Now mine is approaching and I don't even know what I want to do for it!  But what I have been thinking about, keenly: that Carter and my mother won't be there in the front pew, and they ought to be.  Granted, I'm thankful that Abigail, her mother, and my father will be there for it -- last year at this time, that would have been dubious--but I'm still thinking about it.  Is it selfish of me to want them here, too?  To look to my mother for wedding advice and beg Carter not to scare Walter that much with the whole "big brother-slash-protector" role?  I haven't a clue, but I suppose I've got na tha a dhìth orm --all I need.  Right here, be it in the flesh, in the Spirit, and in the heart.  And I do know one other thing, that I'm absolutely undeserving of this kid.  Kid--we're still just kids, really, come to think of it!  Should be barely out of high school and here we are, college grads and engaged.  It's a marvel, to be certain.   


  

Week In Review: Muddling Through Midterms

Saturday, March 10, 2018

Hey everyone, and happy weekend!  What are your plans?  I'm planning on...well, college work.  Midterms, to be exact, that didn't open up 'til Friday and close on Monday.  (Who came up with that idea?!)  And paperwork.  But such is life, and next week is spring break, so I'm anticipating a lot of writing that doesn't involve ancient literature or staggering through Spanish lessons to figure out. 

Currently reading: Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery.  The "Anne" books will always be my favorites, and I've actually never read this one, so I'm excited. 

Current projects: I wrote about 4,000 words for My Compass Home, which isn't much, but hey.  Midterms. I'm also working on some final tweaks for a 150th-anniverary play I'm writing for my church. Their 150th anniversary is this summer, and the play will be in June.  I'm both excited to see it transition from the writing stage to the practicing stage, where it comes to life, but I'm also petrified.  There's just something about your work being presented to dozens of people, onstage, live, that puts a deep sense of terror in the stomach...especially when you're backstage wondering why nobody laughed at a joke or something. (I wrote a Christmas play for the youth group, which we performed in 2016, which is why I am familiar with that clammy-palmed terror). 

Current Bible verse: "He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted" -- Job 5:9.  Remember that prayer moves mountains, but it's because of the One to whom we pray to.  So if you're facing something that seems insurmountable, give it up to God and follow the path He's nudging you towards.  It might not be easy, but that verse attests to the fact that God will help you get through it. 

This week, I also played around with some new blog designs.  I recently realized that while I loved the photograph background that I've had for the first ~2 years of running this blog, it's actually very hard to read with it.  So this is much simpler, but I love the clean-cut feeling template I'm using now.  What are your thoughts? 

And for a fangirl moment: yesterday on Marvel's TV show, "Agents of SHIELD", two characters that I've loved as a couple since the start of the series got married.  The episode was poetic, beautiful, and I'm as excited as a fan can healthily be.  If anyone wants a good reference for two characters that can be used as examples for character development, these guys are it.  They go from shy science nerds who sort of annoy each other to actually crossing galaxies to be near one another (yes, it's a sci-fi show) and the progression is flawless.  Maybe I'll write an analysis for the show's storytelling devices sometime...
Image result for FitzSimmons FZZT kiss
Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons.  Character development, anyone?
Credit: Pinterest/ABC's Marvel: Agents of SHIELD

 Anyway, how did your week go?  Sound off in the comments below! 

The Road to "My Compass Home" Part One: Welcome Home

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

I've decided to begin a couple of blog series about the work that I'm putting into each series I'm currently working on.  I'll be discussing my various inspirations and motivations for them, so I hope you enjoy a peek into my eclectic style and planning!

Music As Inspiration

In Welcome Home, I originally wrote the last portion of the book very differently.  Rather than Spencer running to Lucy's house and telling her of the gang's plot to take Lucy lest he leave, Spencer circumvented that part and immediately ran away.  Certain he was making the right decision, he cut off contact with Lucy and waited until the authorities caught up with the gang and she'd be safe again.  This was actually the first chapter I wrote.

The first time I toyed with this plot, I was inspired by the band For King and Country's song Missing.    Because of this, the first scene I wrote was actually revolving around the idea that this guy owes everything to Lucy, he's changed, he's a different person...but when his past comes a-calling, will he run or will he face it?  As I mentioned earlier, I imagined him running away, destroying the mutual trust that he and Lucy had developed, and the kind of aftermath that they'd need to work through later.  Ultimately, I scrapped the scene  because Spencer's character development took a very different path and I wanted to prove that he actually had changed.  His character as an Army vet was sparked by a music video my brother showed me by a very unlikely source: the band Five Finger Death Punch.  While I'm not a regular listener to their music (or necessarily the heavy metal genre as a whole), this one, Wrong Side of Heaven, showed statistics about veterans the entire way through their music video.  (Warning: sensitive material in the video, such as rough gestures, violence, etc. and it also refers to God as a 'she' for some reason)  After I watched that video, I spent half the night  tossing and turning.  I felt like I needed to do something about it, but didn't know exactly how.  I had this half-cooked plot inspired by "Missing" worked out, but I didn't know why Spence would be homeless, nor why he should be distant or the type to have a bad past at all.  Basically, I was slapping together random ideas and hoping they'd stick.  A few days later in June 2015, the day after I graduated high school, it popped into my head: Spencer Clarkson would be a veteran.  My goodness, but it filled every single plot hole I had!  I actually wrote 90,000 words in 30 days of sleep-deprived determination and intended to release the trilogy as one thick volume, but I later shaved it down into three parts and then discarded the other, oh, 60,000 words or so.

In December 2017, the same band recently released a cover and video similar to the former, titled "Gone Away" and that sparked some of the content ideas that will be included in the second installment of the series: My Compass Home. Spencer being a veteran is an important part of the Faith, Hope, and Love collection, and though My Compass Home will splice some of the focus off to Levi (and the final installment will focus on Morgan) the Clarksons will still be a crucial part of the series, as there's still much to be told.  Spencer's struggles are far from over.  We'll see him delve deeper into his past in order to recover, and we'll also see him presented with multiple challenges.  We'll meet some old faces from his past and just maybe they'll be here to stay. 

Someone (who hasn't read Welcome Home) recently suggested to me that I shouldn't continue writing this series because I haven't gone through war, nor do I have PTSD.  However, both those facts are true because of the men and women overseas that have fought for our freedom (and still do) while sacrificing everything.  The least I can do is use the God-given talents I possess in order speak out on the more sensitive issues that nobody wants to talk about once these people come home.  If we limited ourselves to writing only what we have experienced in our own lives, fiction would not be in existence and a bunch of boring old memoirs would be the only reading material around. So if you agree with that, and you're looking forward to the long-overdue sequel to Welcome Home, let me know in the comments! 

Week In Review: Tumbling into March

Saturday, March 3, 2018

Hey everyone, and happy weekend!  So I'm going to try doing a little "week in review" post on Saturdays, mostly just about what I've been up to this week.  So...here goes!

Currently reading: "A Novel Idea" by Tyndale Publishing.  Great resource for writers planning to write Christian fiction; I'll be writing a review post for it once I'm finished reading it!

Current projects: Um, too many?  I'm working on "My Compass Home" which will be the second book in the Faith, Hope, and Love collection.  I'm also working on "Something New" for Mount Sterling and a yet-untitled book of short stories and poems. Oh, and a manuscript I intent to send to publishing houses this year (I hope), which I plotted out this week. 

Current Bible verse: "Where God guides, He provides" --Isaiah 58:11.  I think this is an important thing to remember.  If anyone is feeling uncertain about the path you feel God is leading you to, remember this verse. 

This week, I had a KDP Select freebie promo for "Everything I Never Said" which went pretty well: six copies downloaded and an equal amount of shares on Facebook.  Shout-out to everyone who downloaded copies or shared the post (sharers being my mother, father, and brother--thanks guys!) I reached an all-time high on my Facebook page stats, drawing a crowd of 70 viewers for the posts--wow!  If anyone downloaded a copy of the book, please feel free to leave a review on Amazon.  Those reviews count! 

I also put a new banner up for the blog and Facebook page using Canva, and I must say...I'm in love with it.  Your thoughts? 

On top of all of this (far more interesting stuff) I also had a truckload of college work and essays to work on this week.  Oh, midterm season, how I loathe you.  I still have two essays to work on before tomorrow; so much for a weekend or a break or...relaxation in general.  Oof.

So...how did your week go?  Sound off in the comments below or feel free to message me!  I love hearing from you guys.