December reading and writing blog 📚📚📚✍️✍️✍️

Hello everyone,

I haven’t finished work yet for Christmas – I’ve another few days to go. But I am looking forward to a break. The kids are excited for Christmas and so am I!

I’ve already made a promise that I won’t write at all over Christmas. Given that I’ve done so much recently, I need to recharge. Plus, I really want to dedicate my time to family and – in the evenings (if possible) – I want to read and watch The Witcher season 2. 🐺

So what have I been up to for the last month? Time to find out.

Writing

In November, I took part in nanowrimo. My target was 25,000 words. I didn’t quite make it but I wrote over 20,000 words which I was very proud of. Book 2 in my trilogy has a completed draft and I’ll be spending the first few months of 2022 editing. This is why I think having a break over Christmas is good. Fresh eyes for January is the plan!

I’ve had lots of exciting news from my publisher in the last couple of weeks – which I still can’t talk about – but hopefully I can reveal a bit more in the New Year. My book is available for pre order now in Ireland, U.K., Australia, New Zealand, and much of Europe, which is so cool. The art work isn’t up yet, however, this too will be happening in the New Year and I just can’t wait. Sometimes having a book deal seems like a dream. Having front cover art work might make it feel more real.

Reading

Finished reading

This has been a good month for reading so far.

I finished The Red Wolf Conspiracy by Robert V.S Redick and The Pariah by Anthony Ryan. If you want to read the reviews, click the links below.

Book Review – The Red Wolf Conspiracy by Robert V.S. Redick (spoiler-free)

Book Review – The Pariah by Anthony Ryan (spoiler-free)

Currently reading

I’ve descended into chaos and have three books on the go! I usually only have two (one paperback and one kindle) but – oops – The Jasmine Throne kept calling me.

I am hoping to have all three finished over the Christmas holidays, which would bring my goodreads challenge total to 32 books read in 2021.

I’m enjoying all of them so far. I’m 50% through The Path and the Way, so there should be a review up in the next week for that.

Reading next

I won a copy of this in a competition ran by the author, Richard Swan. I’ve heard a lot of good reports about this book, so I am planning on reading it over the Christmas period too. If not, it’s my first read of 2022.

Thanks for reading! If you want to follow my blog and my writing/publishing journey, please subscribe!

Bio

Shauna Lawless is an author and her upcoming series is a historical fantasy set in 10th century, Ireland. The first book, The Children of Gods and Fighting Men, is now available to pre-order.