We are now days away from the release of my next book, “Red Flags,” and I couldn’t be more excited. You can still pre-order the ebook for only $0.99 up until the release day, so now’s a great time to get your copy!
I’m currently making my way through another round of edits on Book #4. My read-through of the first draft made me a little nervous but I think my last round of edits really fixed most of the issues, so I think things are back on track. Editing is funny like that sometimes. Once I finish these edits up, I’m going to go back to Book #2 to give it a final read and make a few more minor edits before passing it off to my editor. While I feel prepared to release two books a year, it’s also a lot more fast-paced and a lot more work than I’m used to! I’m in good shape, though.
Anyway, onto things that I liked this month…
I Love TV
“Almost Royal” is definitely not for everyone. It’s a faux-reality show following Poppy and Georgie, two aristocrat siblings from England, as they visit America to learn more about the country. They travel around and try their hands at different jobs and activities with humorous results. The comedy doesn’t always land but when it does I find it hilarious. It’s kind of cringe-y sometimes, so if cringe comedy isn’t your thing, I wouldn’t try this show. But there are two seasons and I’ve enjoyed both of them. Watching two fake almost royals try to do everyday things just makes me laugh, I guess.
So “School Spirits” has a fairly straightforward plot. A high school girl, Maddie, is now a ghost roaming the halls of her high school. There she makes friends with other ghosts who have also died within the high school at one time or another. She’s on a mission to find out how she died, who might be responsible, and why. As she gets closer to figuring it out, she uncovers more secrets and lies than she bargained for. It’s a fun little teen mystery show that has a strong supporting cast. Each episode kind of focuses on a new suspect, so you’re always left guessing who could’ve really killed Maddie. The season only has eight episodes, so it’s a quick watch too. I read that it got picked up for a second season and the whole time I was watching I was thinking, “How could that be possible?” Well, that season finale sure threw me for a loop. I did NOT see it coming. It’s fun and you should check it out!
Movies I Enjoyed
I wanted to see “Renfield” in theaters when it came out but I didn’t, so I was glad to find it on streaming services this month. It’s not perfect, and I do have my criticisms, but I overall thought it was a lot of fun with some really great performances from Nicholas Cage as Dracula and Nicholas Hoult as Renfield. As we know, Renfield is a servant of Dracula, but in the movie he’s kind of had enough of that life. He hates having to bring Dracula his victims to feed on, and he finds Dracula to be kind of abusive to him. So when he encounters a self-help group for codependent relationships, he makes every effort use what he’s learned in the group to break free from the vampire. But it’s never that easy, is it? Because Dracula soon finds out and things get very, very messy. Throw in a crime family and corrupt cops and it’s kind of a wild ride. Is it the best movie ever? Well, no. But I think you’ll have a lot of fun with it anyway.
The Books I’ve Liked
This month I’ve focused a lot on “Red Flags,” reading it over and over again, trying to find quotes to use on social media. But yes, this is also a book that I liked. Loved, even! I just think it’s so fun. There’s a good amount of humor on top of all the murders and romance. There’s something in there for everyone, basically. So, I do hope you take the time to read the book so you can get to know and love Mateo and all his friends like I do. I’m so proud of this book (and the series as a whole) and I can’t wait to share it.
Music
- Sophie Ellis-Bexter: Murder on the Dancefloor
- Justice and Tame Impala: One Night/All Night
- Megan Thee Stallion: Hiss
Michael Procopio 