Waiting On....Welcome to Night Vale: A Novel by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor

Guys, you have NO IDEA how excited I was to open my email and discover that a Welcome To Night Vale novel was available for pre-order! I am completely in love with this podcast, as well as the people behind it, though sadly I've fallen a little behind in episodes recently...hence my surprise to hearing about this novel coming out.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the podcast, each episode of is narrated by Cecil, who works at Night Vale's local community radio station, updating listeners on the various goings-on in the area. It's all fictional, of course, but I still like to hope that such a town truly exists....*sigh*  Sorry, I'm fangirling here. But if your're curious, and this is the first you've heard of this podcast, I encourage you to check it out HERE. Now, to get back to the book, here it is in all its glory:

Anticipated Release Date: October 20, 2015

From the creators of the wildly popular Welcome to Night Vale podcast comes an imaginative mystery of appearances and disappearances that is also a poignant look at the ways in which we all struggle to find ourselves...no matter where we live.

Located in a nameless desert somewhere in the great American Southwest, Night Vale is a small town where ghosts, angels, aliens, and government conspiracies are all commonplace parts of everyday life. It is here that the lives of two women, with two mysteries, will converge.

Nineteen-year-old Night Vale pawn shop owner Jackie Fierro is given a paper marked "KING CITY" by a mysterious man in a tan jacket holding a deer skin suitcase. Everything about him and his paper unsettles her, especially the fact that she can't seem to get the paper to leave her hand, and that no one who meets this man can remember anything about him. Jackie is determined to uncover the mystery of King City and the man in the tan jacket before she herself unravels.

Night Vale PTA treasurer Diane Crayton's son, Josh, is moody and also a shape shifter. And lately Diane's started to see her son's father everywhere she goes, looking the same as the day he left years earlier, when they were both teenagers. Josh, looking different every time Diane sees him, shows a stronger and stronger interest in his estranged father, leading to a disaster Diane can see coming, even as she is helpless to prevent it.

Diane's search to reconnect with her son and Jackie's search for her former routine life collide as they find themselves coming back to two words: "KING CITY". It is King City that holds the key to both of their mysteries, and their futures...if they can ever find it.

Why I Can't Wait To Read This

Because I love, love, LOVE Night Vale! I'm a huge Cecil fan, and I am completely in love with all the quirky and insane characters that pop up in the show, like: Carlos, The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives In Your Home, and Khoshekh (the floating cat that lives in the men's room at the radio station!). I'm so excited to share the wonder of Night Vale with everyone, that I've even made it simple for you to check it out by embedding the pilot episode below for your listening pleasure:

What do you think?

And if you haven't done so already, feel free to join in by linking-up to your own Waiting on Wednesday post over at Breaking The Spine.

{Readers' Workouts} My Thoughts On Fitness Boot-Camp After A Month In

So, I've seen this feature when lurking around Joy's Book Blog and decided that now that I've finally incorporated steady exercise into my life, I should give it a try and join in! For the literally years my New Years' resolutions have always been to lose weight and become fit, but I honestly have never really made any steady attempts to incorporate regular exercise into my schedule - either I'd try something for a little while and then give up, or I'd put it off in the first place.

Since it was becoming pretty obvious to me that my discipline was lacking, and I was tired of wanting to lose weight but not really doing anything about it, I decided to take my supervisor up on her offer to sign up for a Fitness Boot Camp together at a not-so-nearby gym (it's really far, guys!). The class meets four times a week, Monday through Thursday, for one hour (6 pm - 7 pm), which means that I can change right after work and go straight there (work ends at 5 pm). 

So far, I've been going for about five weeks, and I've been seeing some results! The class is mostly strength training with a bit of cardio thrown in to mix things up, and it's ladies-only, so I don't have to feel too self-conscious about myself. Even though the numbers on the scale aren't dropping as much as I'd hoped they would, I've discovered that I've gone down a pant-size, and can run further than I could when I started before running out of breath, lol!

Here's a breakdown of what we did during yesterday's workout:

Ran laps around the building

Jump-roped

Side-squats with hand-weights

Lunges with hand-weights

Flipped large tires

Performed Toe-Taps, Mountain Climbers & Push-Ups against the tires

I don't know if I left anything out, but we did a nice mixture of the above exercises, switching back and forth between each one until the hour was up. So far, my biggest challenge would be push-ups, since my form is terrible and my upper-body strength is still greatly lacking. But before this class, the only form of exercise I did was cardio (if any), so strength-training is completely new for me. I'm glad to be gaining some muscle, though - my legs already look noticeably better, haha! Now if only I could improve my diet....

Are any of you fellow readers out there incorporating exercise into your schedule? If so, how do make yourself stick with it? For me, I really need the scheduled class with a trainer that tells me what to do, otherwise I'd give up too quickly. Also, if any of you have any recommended reads for health & fitness related books, please share them in the comments below - I sure could use them! 

{Bout of Books 13} Goals + Progress

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 11th and runs through Sunday, May 17th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 11 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

With this post, I am officially signing up for Bout of Books 13! I honestly didn't know this was starting today, but what a great way to come back from a hiatus, lol. Anywho, I've technically already started reading a couple of the books that I've included in my "books to choose from" list, but since I've only read a little bit of them, I added them to the list, since I'm hoping to use this read-a-thon as motivation to finish them, instead of watching Hulu. We shall see!

Finish reading at least 4 books

Participate in at least 3 challenges

Comment on at least 5 blogs per day

  

   

   

Monday

Books Completed So Far: Our December by Diane Adams

Currently Reading: Hunting Season by Nikki Jefford (Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter #4)

Thoughts: Our December was a really quick read - I honestly didn't notice that it was a novella when I started it, since it's an eBook. I thought I was going to love it, since it had high reviews on Goodreads, but I actually found the writing to be rather sappy and cheesy. I guess I couldn't see how the main characters could "fall in love" so quickly - I didn't believe it. I gave it 2 out of 5 stars, since I was still able to get through it. The premise was a good idea, I just wasn't a fan of the execution.

Tuesday

Currently Reading: Hunting Season by Nikki Jefford (Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter #4)

Thoughts: Wow, it sure has been a while since I've read the last Aurora Sky book! I started this one off a little lost, but it got so good that I'm back in it, now. I'm so picky with indie novels that I'm glad I found an indie series that I really enjoy so much - the writing is great, and I'm a true fan of the story! I'm already 50% through it. :)

Wednesday

Currently Reading:  Hunting Season by Nikki Jefford (Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter #4)

Thoughts: As always, I completely enjoyed this latest Aurora Sky novel. I love this series, and I can't wait for book five!

Thursday

Currently Reading: Nothing

Thoughts: Today was a busy day, so I didn't have time to read :/

Friday

Currently Reading: Nothing

Thoughts: Spent time with my momma for her birthday! No reading today.

Saturday

Currently Reading: Falling by Barbara Elsborg

Thoughts: It seems that I made up for not reading on Thursday and Friday by both starting and finishing Falling by Barbara Elsborg today. I thought it was a super cute romance! I then felt in the mood to finally read the first volume of Ms. Marvel, which I also liked.

Sunday

Currently Reading: Dead Heat by Patricia Briggs

Thoughts: This book is amazing!!! It starts off like an episode of Supernatural. Plus, look at that cover - it's gorgeous! Haven't finished it yet because I need to sleep and go to work tomorrow, but I got a good head start. :)

   

{Life Update} So, About My Recent Hiatus...

Hello, everyone! First and foremost, I would like to take the time to apologize for this unannounced hiatus that I have recently been on. It seems that I have been rather overwhelmed lately, and have had too much going on to truly dedicate as much time as I would have liked to this blog. 

Here are my excuses in a nutshell: 

• In addition to my full-time job, I have recently started attending a fitness boot camp at a gym that is located a fair distance away from both my job and home. It's been working, guys! The only downside is that I go straight after work and don't get home until 7:30 pm. Plus I give my mom a ride to work afterwards, which is another hour gone from my day.
• Also, my sister has recently had a baby, and I have been providing transportation to and from doctors' appointments and hospital visits. Just this past weekend, her baby was hospitalized to to severe jaundice!
• And lastly, I have been trying my best to de-clutter and organize my childhood home. It's been a lot easier since having read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo, but there's still a lot to be done. It's bad, guys.

My newest niece, Kali Quinn

I feel terrible about not posting for over two months, and for not announcing my hiatus, but I was honestly too busy to really get around to it. It is my hope that now that I have become more accustomed to my schedule/routine, I will be able to continue updating this blog in a regular fashion. My sister's baby is also being released from the hospital today, so having her back at home will really give us a lot of peace of mind.  

And so, with that said, I'd like you all to know that I truly appreciate your patience during this time. I really enjoy both reading and blogging, and it is my hope that I will soon be able to find an equilibrium in which my personal, work, and blogging lives can coexist. For now, please know that I will be trying my best - I already have a few ideas for posts that will be coming up soon! 

Waiting On: Plume, Vol. 2 by K. Lynn Smith

For Vesper Grey, there is the Before and the After. The Before is devastatingly boring; teacups and girdles, and an overbearing Aunt who makes life hell. The After is Corrick and the uncovered truth about a magical necklace. It is the Wild West, and it is an adventure that could very well change everything.

*CLICK HERE TO HELP FUND PLUME: VOLUME 2 ON KICKSTARTER*

Or, read the entire web-comic HERE for free!

Why I Can't Wait To Read This

I started reading the web-comic recently, and am really enjoying it! I really love the artwork, and I'm excited to think that I can finally own a tangible copy of the series in my hands!!! Not to mention, all of the cool perks that will most likely come with it:

What's cool is that if you don't have  volume one, you can get it through one of your pledges! Now the real issue is deciding between hardcover or paperback editions...

What do you think?

And if you haven't done so already, feel free to join in by linking-up to your own Waiting on Wednesday post over at Breaking The Spine.

{Cover Reveal} Dark Secrets: Edge of Evil

Dark Secrets: Edge of Evil by Shea Berkley (Dark Secrets #2) 

Publication Date: March 3rd 2015

Genres: Adult, Paranormal Romance

What if nightmares, best kept in the dark, refuse to stay hidden?

Dr. Maya Kelbeck believes no matter how unusual her patients’ delusions, she can help. When billionaire Alden Caldwell seeks her counsel to escape a controlling relationship, she’s intrigued by his unusual diagnosis, lycanthropy—her patient actually believes he is over 400 years old and a werewolf.

Alden Caldwell’s life is not his own and hasn’t been since the middle ages, not since he was transformed into a werewolf. The once noble knight now finds himself no more than a slave to a female vampire who is without morals, without conscious, without a soul.

Maya promises Alden she can help him, and at first it looks like she can, until the supernatural world in which he lives wants him back. Can Alden convince Maya his delusions are real in time to save her, or has he just sentenced a woman who cares for him despite his past transgressions to a fate worse than death?

 

Purchase Book 1:

Shea Berkley started out writing nonfiction (not so fun) and quickly moved into fiction (totally fun), and knew she'd found her calling. (Her family was thrilled she'd found friends to play with even if they weren't technically real.) She's still pleasantly surprised people are willing to pay to read her stories. Besides writing, her many diversions include kickboxing, reading awesome books and hanging out with her loud and rambunctious family. With five kids (all girls), her biggest job is to make sure the little darlings don't harass the neighbors and then play dumb when the cops come knocking on her door.

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | IndieBound

Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common.

But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.

I was so excited to find a YA fictional novel that was set in El Paso that I didn't even bother much with the synopsis beforehand - and I'm glad I read it, too, as this is such a beautiful story! As the synopsis describes, this is a novel about the growing friendship between two teenage boys who have always felt like outcasts.

One of the main themes of the novel is the heritage struggle - both Aristotle and Dante come from Mexican-American families, and grew up on the border, but neither feel that they truly fit in with their cultures. Dante doesn't speak Spanish, and doesn't consider himself to be a "real Mexican." He feels alienated from both his family and his culture - part of which is because he has light skin, and the majority of his extended family doesn't speak English. But Aristotle is dark-skinned, speaks Spanish, and still feels the same alienation towards his family and his culture that Dante feels.

Personally, I felt that I could really relate to Dante, because I, too, am a Hispanic El Pasoan who doesn't speak Spanish. It may not seem like a big deal, but growing up on the border I have often felt alienated because of the language barrier, especially since I, too, have family on my mother's side that I can't communicate with unless my mother acts as a translator. 

I especially enjoyed reading about the camaraderie between Aristotle and Dante, however. It was great to see two "outcasts" with totally different personalities (Aristotle was more quiet and reserved, while Dante could charm the hell out of complete strangers) gain so much understanding of each other. I don't want to give any spoilers, but this novel is categorized as a coming-of-age LGBT novel, so I feel I can at least say that it was also very heartwarming to read about their growing relationship, in addition to their growing friendship, without really giving anything away.

I haven't read anything that was set in my hometown before, and it was a nice surprise that the first book I came across with an El Paso setting ended being so touching. This was truly a beautifully written novel and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author!