How I Got Through the Doldrums of March and Made My Way into the Excitement of April! (AKA My Month in Review)


I know it isn't technically April yet. I don't like posting before the end of the month because, what if I'm not done posting for the month?? (And in this case, I'm not).

BUT Fairy Tale Fortnight begins on WEDNESDAY, and will run for two weeks. I'm not going to stop to do a wrap-up during the event, so.... here it is, two days early. Forgive me? ❤

* During a recent Twitter chat, some people mentioned that they liked monthly wrap-ups so much more when they included a little more about personal lives, and not JUST about blogging stuff. I think I do a little bit of that anyway, but I'll try a little harder, okay? Let me know if it's working! (But fair warning: I'm not an interesting person, so...!) 

* First off, you may notice that there's been a change to the commenting system! Last year, I tried to install Disqus for commenting and I didn't do it properly. Then I never really tried again. This month, I've been plagued with spammers, so I tried again...AND IT WORKED. I'm so sad when you guys leave comments and I know the reply won't go out to you. Now it will. I know not everyone loves Disqus, but the other big one out there is for Wordpress, so...here we are! I hope you guys like it better. And I CAN still see all of your Blogger comments...I just have no clue how to port them to Disqus since the merge didn't work properly when I tried!

* This month, I am SO EXCITED for Fairy Tale Fortnight. I hope y'all are excited, too! Please feel free to share the event on social media next month and help promote it! ^.~ We have so many authors and guest posters and publishers helping out. It's going to be CRAZY!!!

http://abackwardsstory.blogspot.com/2015/02/5th-annual-fairy-tale-fortnight.html

* I'm also excited for April because WARMTH. When winter's cold procrastinated for so long, I worried that we'd have a longer winter that lasted into spring. So far, that's completely true. It almost snowed this past weekend. I'm sorry, WHAT!?

And it DID snow on the First Day of Spring, so I stayed indoors...away from my free Rita's Water Ice! ;_;

Yeaaaaah.....AND we got another 3 inches by the end of the day.
This was only the beginning!
 
This past week was so bleak and cold and dreary. I see the sun poking its head out today, though. Stay for a while, sun! I have some new flipflops to break in! ^.~

Is it time to wear polka dots and cherries and bunnies on my feet yet??

*  I'm also excited for April because there are some AMAZING book signings coming up this month. I get to meet a childhood favorite author, Gail Carson Levine, who wrote a little book you may have heard of called ELLA ENCHANTED that has meant so much to me over the years. Neal Shusterman and Maria Snyder will both be in town, too, and then Sarah J. Maas will be here the first week of May to launch her new book!  

This past month, Kat and I were lucky enough to go to an epic signing in NYC for the launch of Jodi Meadows' new novel THE ORPHAN QUEEN (Which is amazeballs), along with CJ Redwine, Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Joy Hensley. I still haven't done my wrap-up of that event like I wanted to. ^^;;; I'll try to make time to put it together today for you and hopefully you can see that tomorrow!

But here's a preview!
* I guess that's it for now. I'm entering my last month of active reading until I attempt to go on a book reading ban in May in order to write, but more on that in next month's wrap-up!

HAPPY SPRING!!! 
 

ONGOING GIVEAWAYS:

*None right now BUT check back in April for SO MANY GIVEAWAYS.
So, so many giveaways are coming your way!!!

Check out the April Blog Tour Schedule for more upcoming giveaways!
APRIL BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE
(Most blog tour stops feature giveaways as well!)


***Not a Blog Tour, but from April 1-14, ABS will be taken over by Fairy Tale Fortnight!
Look out for A LOT of guest posts, interviews, excerpts, giveaways, and more!***

*AIMEE AND THE HEARTTHROB by Ophelia London {4/16 Review}
*BREATHE, ANNIE, BREATHE by Miranda Kenneally  {4/20 Interview}
*THE TRUTH ABOUT US by Janet Gurtler {4/22 Guest Post}

*THE MAGICIAN'S LIE by by Greer Macallister {TBA}
*SUSPICION by Alexandra Monir {TBA}
*CHASING POWER by Sarah Beth Durst {TBA}
*RUMBLE by Ellen Hopkins {TBA}
READING NOW:
{All links to Goodreads!}

*WITCHES ABROAD by Terry Pratchett {Adult}
(I started this the day before he passed away and had to put it down, but I just picked it up again! I want to include it EVEN MORE now for FTF!)

PLANNING TO READ IN APRIL:


Lots and Lots of Fairy Tale Retellings to get ready for

In addition, I'd LIKE to get to...


*AN EMBER IN THE ASHES by Sabaa Tahir {YA}

Series I'd LIKE to get to...

*THE OATHBREAKER'S SHADOW by Amy McCulloch
*THE SHADOW'S CURSE by Amy McCulloch
*SABRIEL by Garth Nix {YA/Adult Crossover}
*LIRAEL by Garth Nix {YA/Adult Crossover}
*ABHORSEN by Garth Nix {YA/Adult Crossover}
*CLARIEL by Garth Nix {YA}
 
 
[link to my GoodReads account so you can see my blurb feed as I read]
READ IN MARCH:
{All links to Goodreads!}

TOTAL: 15 Books

*MIDNIGHT MASQUERADE by MArcia Lynn McClure {Adult} [Re-Read]
*DIVINE DECEPTION by Marcia Lynn McClure {Adult}
*MAKE IT COUNT by Megan Erickson {New Adult}
*CINDER AND ELLA by Kelly Oram {Upper YA}
*THE CURSE GIRL by Kate Avery Ellison {YA}
*THE WHISPERED KISS by Marcia Lynn McClure {YA}
*UPROOTED by Naomi Novik {Adult}
*FLUNKED: FAIRY TALE REFORM SCHOOL by Jen Calonita {MG}
*JESSE'S GIRL by Miranda Kenneally {Upper YA}
*THE TRUTH ABOUT US by Janet Gurtler {YA}
*NOWHERE BUT HERE by Katie McGarry {Upper YA}
*GIRL WITH GUITAR by Caisey Quinn {New Adult}
*GIRL ON TOUR by Caisey Quinn {New Adult}   
*GIRL IN LOVE by Caisey Quinn {New Adult}
*LEAVING AMARILLO by Caisey Quinn {New Adult}
REVIEWED IN MARCH:
{All links to my review!}

*ADAPTED FOR FILM by Stacey Rourke {Adult}
*LOSING THE ICE by Jennifer Comeaux {New Adult}
*FLUNKED: FAIRY TALE REFORM SCHOOL by Jen Calonita {MG}
*THE ORPHAN QUEEN by Jodi Meadows {YA}
FEATURES IN MARCH:

*February Month in Review // March Monthly Preview
*Top 6 Books Read + Top 4 Authors Met in the 5 Years My Blog Has Existed!
*Revealing the Stunning Covers for 10 Upcoming Hot New Releases!
*A Twist in the Tail: Talking About Apollycon 2015!
*Alternative Free Fridays + Weekly E-Book Deals
*Kat+Bunny Present: Top 10 Books For DIVERSITY IN FANTASY & Top 10 For Best *NON* High Fantasy Titles!
{Excerpt} LOVE STRUNG by Jamie W. Matlock
*{Mad About Nails} Celebrate THE ORPHAN QUEEN by Jodi Meadows with Fun Nail Art Ideas!
*{Bookworm Problems} Leaving home with 5 books and returning with...16!?
*{Spotlight} PRETTY WANTED by Elisa Ludwig
*Top 10 Spring 2015 Titles TBR!
*Rounding Up the Stunning Covers for 16 MORE Upcoming Hot New Releases!
*Top 10 Books From My Childhood!
* Exclusive EARLY EXCERPT + A Gift for YOU when you Pre-Order JESSE'S GIRL by Miranda Kenneally!
*Want More Female Superheroes? Help Support New TV Series JUST SUPER!

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