Welcome to the February 2022 roundup!

I know I always say every month goes fast, but being only 28 days, this February really did!

The first few days were spent with my evil twin before she headed home again, then it was straight back into my writing routine so I can hopefully finally publish another book this year. I am (not so) secretly aiming for two books, but that was 2021’s goal too, and it didn’t happen. I am making progress, though, and that’s really the only thing I can control for now.

I hope whatever goals you’re aiming for this year are also moving ahead. Below is what else I’ve been up to for the second month of 2022…

What I’ve Been…

Writing

Blackbirch 3 – As has been the case of the last few months, a month of endless editing on draft 10 has been and gone. I was hoping to have the MS ready for another round of beta readers (my 3rd) by mid-Feb and then the end of Feb, and none of that eventuated. Ever the optimist, I’m now aiming for the end of March.

I did add numerous words to the 5 new scenes needed. Now it’s a case of changing events in existing chapters and then making sure the new changes I made (which were significant) haven’t created plot holes anywhere. I also need to comb through the completed chapters to remove references to events that have changed/been deleted, etc. Fun times!

Watching/Reading

One Of Us Is Lying – I’ve been meaning to watch this TV adaption (and read the books) forever! While my sister was here at the start of the month, we watched it together and really enjoyed it. It starts with a homage to the 80s movie classic, The Breakfast Club, where five teens end up in detention. What they don’t know is that they were hand-picked by one of them to take the fall for murder. There are twists and turns galore as they try to work out who has set them up and is still stalking them.

The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window – I know this dark comedy starring Kristen Bell was supposed to be a parody of The Girl On The Train etc, but it just wasn’t funny. It was played too serious at times, and then not enough when it came to the backstory of how Bell’s character became a childless divorcee who becomes obsessed with the new couple across the street. While it’s a quick series and over in four hours, it’s not worth the time.

Wolf Like Me – Another quick series, but one that is worth a look, is Wolf Like Me. It stars Isla Fisher and Josh Gad as two widowers who meet during a car accident. Although their first impression isn’t great, they keep running into each other, and eventually, Gary (Gad) learns Mary’s (Fisher) supernatural secret and has to decide if it’s the kind of life he and his 11-year-old daughter want to be part of.

A Sunrise Over Bali by Sandy Barker – The fourth book in the #HolidayRomance series centers on Jaelee Tan. While on a sabbatical in Bali to escape a fight with a friend and to get over a broken heart, Jaelee quits her successful PR job and then needs to decide what to do with her life. There’s also the matter of fellow traveler, Alistair. He’s been dealing with a long-term relationship breakdown and a family health emergency and might be just who Jaelee’s been looking for. While there’s the obvious romance factor of this story, I really enjoyed the friendships Jaelee formed with the people she met in Bali and how they helped her find a new career path. There was also an added layer of family drama and dynamics, both for Jaelee and Alistair, which lifted the story for me and held my interest. As is usual for Sandy Barker’s books, the descriptions of the settings and food will have you inspired to book an overseas trip. Recommended for adventurous lovers of romance stories.

If you’ve got any good recommendations, let me know in the comments, or be my friend on Goodreads and share your books/recommendations with me!

If you’d like to add the Blackbirch books to your “Want to Read” shelf and/or check out the reviews, click the following images!

Taking Photos Of

Early morning and evening skies. The last days of summer have been putting on some awesome sunrises and sunsets.

On The Blog…

In case you missed any of my posts, or want to read them again, here are the latest blogs.

• January 2022 Roundup
• What To Do When Your Writer-Type Stops You From Writing
• Fixing A Stuck Scene

Writing Tip Of The Month…

#WritingTipWednesday posts are added to my social media feeds every week and here is the most popular tip for this month. It’s taken from my blog post, Writing Tips: Building Tension.

For more tips, visit my Writing Tips Pinterest Board.

Blackbirch Teaser Of The Month…

I’ve been a bit slack with promoting my books on social media, so I’ve brought snippets and reviews back to my feeds. This teaser comes courtesy of Blackbirch: The Beginning and centers on the strange dreams Josh Taylor begins to experience that lead to the discovery of the magick in his veins.

If you’d like to read the books released so far or find out more about each novel, here are the links:

• Blackbirch: The Beginning (Book 1)
• Blackbirch: The Dark Half (Book 2)

If you’ve read either of my books—and haven’t done so already—please consider leaving a review or a star rating. It really helps indie authors get their books noticed, and also helps fellow readers find books they’ll like.

Quote Of The Month…

I’ve hoped you’ve enjoyed my February Roundup. Let me know what you’ve been up to in the comments!

— K.M. Allan

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