The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on my blog and share news about what’s coming up in the week ahead.
This past week on FYFA (and in my life):
Reminder – Enter my 8th blogoversary giveaway! And check out the new Pre-Order Campaign Page.
- I finished the first draft of my MG in verse! I’m so excited!! Those of you who frequent my blog know that this was a goal for me in 2020, and then… well… 2020 happened. Honestly, I was really struggling with this book, and I was half tempted to give up. But this week, I actually did it. I finished! I still need to go back and do some editing. I’m definitely not “done,” but I am a major step closer!!
- We got a NordicTrack S22i exercise bike!
- I’ve been terrible about working out for the past year or so, and we decided it was time to get back to it. My husband has never been a fan of the elliptical (which we got as a bargain many years ago for only $30 because it had a blown fuse that we replaced for $3), and I’m not crazy about the idea of a treadmill, so we thought a bike might be a good compromise.
- We debated going with Peloton, but it can take 10 weeks to get one right now. Plus, iFit has fantastic outdoor-themed rides, which really appealed to us (especially to my husband, who would prefer to ride outside), and it has an incline to make those outdoor rides feel even more realistic. Add in about $1000 price difference (by the time you factor in the one year free iFit membership), and the choice was easy.
- So far, we’re absolutely loving it!! I do wish iFit made it easier to know where to start and would help with making a fitness plan, but I found a couple of Facebook groups that helped with that. It’s only been a couple of days, but I think the whole family is going to get a lot of use out of this bike!
- Blogging: I’ve still been keeping up with posting at least three times a week (including this Sunday Post), and I’ve actually been sticking to a schedule. I still need to give myself more time for blog hopping, but considering the fact that I finished the rough draft this week, I’m giving myself a break on that.
- What I Read:
- I finished listening to The Stars of Whistling Ridge via the NetGalley app.
- I continued reading Legendborn.
- I’ve also been reading my friend Megan’s latest manuscript for critique.
- TV We Watched:
- Supernatural. We’re still watching season 9 of Supernatural.
- 24. We’re on season 3 of 24 now.
- The fluffs: As always, my pups kept me busy! I didn’t manage to take a single pic this week, though.
Here’s what you may have missed on the blog since my last Sunday Post:
- Mia Mayhem Series by Kara West, Illustrated by Leeza Hernandez: Black History Month Spotlight
- Bite-Sized Reviews of Cybils Nominees: Dragon Assassin, The Girl Who Speaks Bear, Mulan: Before the Sword, Bones in the Wall, and The Barren Grounds
Book Blogger Birthdays and Blogoversaries:
Here are the birthdays and blogoversaries for this week! I hope you’ll go wish these bloggers well on their special days! Make sure you check out the calendar to see what you might have just missed or what’s coming up. (If you want to be added to the calendar, it’s easy! Just fill out the birthday/blogoversary form.)
- Feb 24th – Book Briefs‘ Blogoversary
- Feb 24th – Jessica @ jessicasblog45‘s Birthday
- Feb 26th – Tayside Book Blog‘s Blogoversary
- Feb 27th – Jackie’s Forget Me Nots‘ Blogoversary
Book Haul:
Nothing this week!
Great Discussions/Goings On Around the Blogosphere:
- Sadly, I didn’t do much blog-hopping this week. 🙁
NEW Pre-order Campaigns
Head over to my new Pre-Order Campaigns Page to see ALL of the pre-order deals, including pictures!!
Here’s the list of all the pre-order campaigns that I just added to the list this week:
Pre-order THE SHADOW WAR by by Lindsay Smith to receive a set of character cards! (INT)(Ends 2/28)
Pre-order OFF THE RECORD by Camryn Garrett to receive a signed bookmark and a sticker. Plus, you’ll be entered to win a giveaway. (INT)(ends 5/22)
Pre-order LUCKY GIRL by Jamie Pacton to receive two gorgeous (one with a surprise on the back), a sticker with Jane’s motto “I am enough,” a signed bookplate, and a bookmark with a chance to win a grand prize package. There will be three of these winning ones out there. For every pre-order, the author will also donate $1 to Mission Blue, Sylvia Earle’s Ocean Conservation fund, and you’ll get a “Save the Oceans” sticker to commemorate this donation. (INT)(ends 5/11)
Pre-order MINA AND THE UNDEAD by Amy McCaw from Rabbit Hole Brigg to receive a fang wax melt, a Fang Fest flyer and a New Orleans postcard. (ends 3/31)
Pre-order THE ROCK FROM THE SKY by Jon Klassen from an indie bookstore to receive an exclusive signed print! (Ends 4/12)
Pre-order VULTURE by Bex Hogan to receive an exclusive signed print! (UK/RoI only)(Ends 4/7)
Pre-order THE INFINITY COURTS by Akemi Dawn Bowman (or just be a fan—no purchase necessary) to receive a downloadable coloring page and downloadable character cards! (Ends 4/5)
Pre-order ACT YOUR AGE, EVE BROWN by Talia Hibbert from your favorite independent bookstore and receive a bonus epilogue! (US only)(Ends 3/8)
Pre-order SONGS OF INSURRECTION by J.C. Kang to receive a signed 6×9 double-sided glossy cardstock of the artwork for both Songs of Insurrection and Orchestra of Treacheries. (INT)(Ends 3/11)
Awesome Giveaways:
(Make sure you scroll to see them all!)
- Twitter Giveaways:
- In honor of her Cybils Awards win, @devafagan is giving away RIVAL MAGIC plus THREE of the finalists in the MG spec fic category!! (ends 3/1)
- On my blog, you can enter the giveaway for the February 2021 Discussion Challenge Link-Up & Giveaway and the January Monthly (& Year-End) Wrap-Up Round-Up & Giveaway. You can also enter to win ANY BOOK YOU WANT in my blogoversary giveaway!
- Head over to Book Briefs for a chance to win a Curated Love and Other Moods gift basket filled with items related to the novel
- Head over to BookHounds YA for a chance to win ALLERGIC, A SHOT AT NORMAL, REBEL DAUGHTER, I SURVIVED THE NAZI INVASION, 1944, and more! (Check their site’s sidebar.)
- Head over to The Children’s Book Review for a chance to win a set of 4 books by Corey Ann Haydu, including One Jar of Magic and A copy of THIS BOOK IS ANTI-RACIST JOURNAL and THIS BOOK IS ANTI-RACIST and a collection of stickers and pencils.
- Jessica over at a GREAT read is also celebrating her blogoversary, and she’s giving away two gift cards for books!
- Enter Penguin’s #AmplifyBlackStories Sweepstakes
- Penguin is doing a Jazz Age Sweepstakes! You can win six new editions of The Great Gatsby and lots more!
- Head over to Lisa Loves Literature for a chance to win 3 books from Lisa’s ARC pile
- Lots of blogs participating in the February 2021 Of Books Giveaway Hop!
- Book Riot has lots of giveaways, including a $100 FOR THE BOOKSTORE OF YOUR CHOICE!
Lots of good stuff! Have any giveaways or great discussions happening on your site right now? Feel free to share them in the comments!
Congratulations on finishing your draft! I am just so impressed that you wrote a whole book. And yeah for your fitness purchase. If you and your husband (maybe your kids?) use the bike, sounds like a great investment.
Yes, the great thing is, the kids will use it for gym class too. Hopefully it will get lots of use!
Congrats on the new exercise bike.
Thank you!
Thanks for the Blogoversary shoutout! 😀
You’re welcome!! Happy blogoversary!
Yay for finishing your draft! That has to feel great and is such an accomplishment with nothing happening and instead everything has been happening. I hope you enjoy the Nordictrack. I have had different things and I like my old stationery bike and walking and swimming in the neighborhood. Have a lovely week!
Anne – Books of My Heart This is my Sunday Post
Yes, I’m so happy to have finished the draft—it was a long time coming!
Congrats on finishing the draft! That’s great progress!
An exercise bike sounds like a good compromise! I bought one a while back and used it a lot at first, but I had bought a cheap one and it broke. Now I’m trying to decide if I should replace it or go with something else. It’s a hard call, because we have very minimal space for any of the options right now.
Sorry your bike broke. I used my elliptical a lot for years, but I think I needed a change. I’m hoping that the excitement of the new bike won’t wear off.
Congrats on completing your draft! That’s pretty huge! 🙂 I go back and forth with considering some exercise equipment but I’m not 100% convinced I would use it.
Congrats on finishing your MG draft!! That’s amazing! and Yay on your s22i! I have one as well, and I LOVE it. I also have a Peloton app subscription, and I just use it with the s22i.
Congratulations on the draft! That sounds like an awesome accomplishment. And you’re not too far past 2020 so great job. Happy blogoversary too! 🙂
Congrats on finishing the book and getting a bike! I hope you have a great week.
Congrats on your first draft!
Congrats! I can’t even begin to fathom how much effort it takes to write a whole novel in verse.
Congrats on finishing your manuscript! I really need to, once again, get back to mine. I stopped for a bit because of pain due to carpal tunnel. It’s still not great, but it hurts a lot less on a constant basis so I’m sure I can get SOME writing done. hah
-Lauren
Congrats on finishing the MG book and on getting the bike! I hope you enjoy the bike. I certainly love mine. 🙂
Ohh exciting! I hope you’ll enjoy your new bike. Yes, Peloton is everywhere so the demand is great.
Looking forward to reading your book! Still working on my manuscript but I have a cover and it’s mostly done. 🙂
Good luck with everything, Nicole!
I fancied getting a Peloton but I could not justify the expense, I’ll check out your one it sounds good!