My 2021 Goodreads Challenge Books Read

 

Hello everyone! I'm back to blogging and sharing updates! It's going to take me a few days to straighten everything out, but I will say my dreams have finally come true. I'll explain more later...

The best New Year's resolution I made this year was to read 50 books AND make sure to leave reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, and post to my Instagram. I'm proud of myself saying I have read and reviewed 38 books this year so far!  I have 12 books left to reach my 50 book goal and I hope to make it across the finish line! 

 We are all in this chaos together, and every little bit helps. I will be updating this post as soon as I read more! Here is my "READ" list for the year.

2021 Melanie Hoffer's Read List

1. In a holidaze by Christina Lauren

2. Sicko by Amo Jones

3. Once Upon a Dream by Sierra Simone

4. Stoke of Midnight by K. Webster

5. Layla by Colleen Hoover

6. Beautiful Sinner by Sara Cate

7. Dirty First Dates - The Meuseum by Harley Laroux

8. Follow Me Darkly by Helen Hardt

9. My Beautiful Poison by T.L. Smith

10. Devil's Day Party by C.M. Stunich

11. Cum Inside by Selena Moore

12. Gravity by Sara Cate

13. What if it's You by Shauna McDonnell

14. His Ballerina by Darcy Rose & J.L. Beck

15. Mercilesss by Eleanor Aldrick

16. Consumed by Love by Selena Moore

17. Sinfully Good by  Dakota Issacs

18. Loved by Aries by Loreli Johnson

19. Thunder Thighs by Evie Mitchell

20. Saint by Ruby Vincent

21. Mercer by Ruby Vincent 

22. Just Once by Kate Hunt

23. The Fire Within by Aldra Morin

24. We are not a thing by Halo Roberts

25. No One But Me by Autumn Bluestone

26. Dirty Dom by Sara Bailey

27. Speechless Breathless by Allie Everett

28. Dying to Love by Reese Rivers

29. Sips & Strokes by Sarah Skye

30. Teach Me Dirty by Jade West

31. Still Beating by Jennifer Hartmann

32. The Medusa Project by Lou Wilham

33. The Sandman by S. Courtney

34. Broken Bonds by J. Bree

35.  Lessons in Sin by Pam Godwin

36. Stolen Crush by C.M. Stunich

37. I hated you first by Rachel John

38. In Charge by Aria Bliss

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If you like what you see follow me on Instagram at @MelanieHoffer_Author. 

If you like Erotic Romance please feel free to check out my debut novel, Falling for Two, published by The Wild Rose Press.

Purchase at Amazon.com

Purchase at Barnes & Noble.com

Friday Favorites

Blogtober Post #5! Still on a Roll! 

Oh Friday...thank goodness your here. This week I have to admit I struggled to focus everyday. I have a lot on my mind and you can only blast music so loud in your car to drown it all out. But I think checking off a couple things on my To-Do list this weekend and once NY Comic Con is over I can relax a little bit. 

I'm anxious about my Mom's breast cyst biopsy on Tuesday. Having a cyst, a lump, a fibroid is not an instant cancer diagnosis, but it's stressful nonetheless. October is Breast Cancer Awareness and it is so important to do self breast examinations and go to your gynecologist for your yearly exam. Also, you must speak up! My doctor missed in my breast exam that I had a fibroid in my right breast 10 years ago. I spoke up and yes I had to have surgery to remove it, but it was a benign tumor and I have a piece of mind because I got it checked out. *Knock on wood* I've been breast fibroid free for 8 years and I still do my yearly exams and will continue to do so. 

This weekend my husband's Aunt and Uncle are visiting from Texas this weekend and I'm so super excited to see them! I haven't seen my in-laws in a while too so I'm very happy to catch up with everybody. The weather in New York is also going to be perfect "Spring/Fall" so we're hoping to go to a street fair on Sunday and eat as much Apple stuff we can find! =)

But first, New York Comic Con. 

Oh boy, it's going to be an intense Saturday. The cosplayers, the panels, the fan craziness, the vendors, Ahh it's always nuts and this year is their projected biggest year to date. I will tweeting and Instagramming a lot tomorrow from the show floor and blogging about it next week! =)

I did have some time to check out a few things... 

Here are my Friday Favorites from the week! 

Thursday Thoughts - Currently...

Blogtober Day #4:

 Thursday Thoughts...

~ I finally got to have lunch and dinner at the Art Cafe in Nyack, NY and they have latte art! I just loved my dirty chai latte (w/ espresso) in this blogpost's main picture! I can't wait to go again! ~ 

 

Downton Abbey

~ I'm definitely a few years late to the Downton Abbey TV Show party, but I'm obsessed. All seasons are on Amazon Prime.  I'm just starting Season 2 and I love how much they integrate History with English society. It's such a good show! ~

Harry Potter Themed Cupcakes

~  Cupcake Decorating with Fondant is freaking hard. Seriously, it's so hard. Even if it looks simple it's not. I really need to work on gaining more experience it with. I made Harry Potter themed cupcakes for my boss and Whew, they came out great. ~ 

American Horror Story Apocalypse

 ~I've been waiting for this American Horror Story season for years. It's so good, I'm so happy! Finally I feel like this show is back on track with everything it has already set up. There are crossovers from other seasons that are so perfectly laid out that I have to watch last night's episode again. The attention to details for the mega fans is really being executed well. Mr March played by the Evan Peters makes an appearance and once again his dialogue is the best! ~ 

New York Comic Con

~ Now that the cupcakes are done I can focus on my costume for Comic Con.I'm the doing the biker version of an evil stepsisters, sass and all. I have to really thank Target for having a wide variety of plus size pieces in store. The majority of retailers keep their plus sizes only online which makes shopping a nightmare. No plus size woman is the same. It's so important to be able to actually try on clothes in the store before purchasing because 9 out of 10 times I don't know what size I will be depending on the fabric, cut, and price. I think I'm going to do an additional blog post all about Cosplay as a Plus Size Women because it's so difficult. But at least I found some pieces in Target to make my life a little easier. ~

What are Your Thursday Thoughts?

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Please visit my Weekly Link Up page for the awesome bloggers I'm linking up with today!

My Favorite Non-Horror Halloween Movies

Yay! Blogtober Day #3! 

I'm a movie girl, always been. My town had a Captain Video and the next town over had a Blockbuster. I had both membership cards growing up. The second I found out I could take movies out of the library I did. My ultimate favorite time of year for movies is Halloween! 

I love a great horror movie, but I know they're not for everyone. There are some movies I always watch around Halloween that aren't horror movies per se. I basically wish I could stay in every day of October and watch some of these classics. =)

So for Blogtober Day #3 - Here is a list of my favorite non-horror Halloween movies!

My Writing Journey #3: Ten Ways to Find Inspiration Everywhere!

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Day #2 Blogtober coming at you! 

One of the greatest feelings in the world is being inspired to do something. Whether that inspiration leads you to blogging, writing, traveling, or a new adventure, it doesn't matter, the important part is that it made you feel and make that change or volunteer as tribute sorta speak. I'm lucky to say I am surrounded by a great support system of family and friends whom inspire me daily.

Keeping with my Tuesday theme documenting my writing journey, I try to find inspiration for my writing projects everywhere. I know, can I make it a little more specific? I can and I can't. Simply put, keep your eyes open, ears listening and bring a notepad and pen wherever you go. If you can't fit a notebook anywhere, notepad apps on your phone work best too! Trust me, the inspiration is out there, you just have to uncover it!

My October 2018 Goals

October is a big busy month for me and I already feel slightly behind. Hopefully #Blogtober will help keep me on track with my goals this month. 31 Days, 31 Blogposts. I decided to come back to blogging last month and this everyday posting schedule should be great motivation for me!
 
On top of my busy month, I'm a marketing analyst by day and deal with the weekly ads in your local newspapers, therefore we are already preparing for the extended holiday workload. Lots of busy work, long hours, and mental burnout. Self care is definitely going to be key this month.

When I feel overwhelmed I sit down and write everything out. I probably spent too much time today organizing my bullet journal but I honestly feel better and made sure I had plenty of space for everything in my very minimal October weekly spread. Space is key for me!

First Week of October Weekly Bullet Journal Spread

I'm actually glad I took a "Before" picture because this pretty clean bullet journal page is no longer clean & pretty.

 Alright, let's get started on the my goals for October.

Hello October!! TBB - October Fall 2.0 List

Hello October! You are my favorite month and my busiest month before the holiday hustle. Falling leaves, apples, a valid excuse to watch Hocus Pocus everyday this month, cider, donuts, hoodies, and festivals!

Tonight I'm going to "Then She Fell" in Brooklyn, NY with my friend Kristina and I've never been to anything like this before in my life. It's like a Haunted House except Alice in Wonderland inspired.

Then She Fell - Website

"An immersive theater experience combining a hospital ward,
the writings of Lewis Carroll, and only 15 audience members per show."

It should be a nice way to kick off October festivities and go out of September with something cool. 

Therefore today I've decided to join in on the fun at The Blended Blog for a great Fall List of my favorite things.

Friday Favorites! Goodbye September

"Wake me up when September ends..."

~ Green day

Goodbye September. I will miss you. September was a month of uncertainty. Everything for me was so up in the air. These last few days has brought closure to a lot of the loose ends and hope for new beginnings. Something I've been hoping for my entire life might be happening! I can't say a lot now, but it's so exciting and I'm nervous as hell, but all in due time I will hopefully be able to say more!

My kitty Angel is unfortunately blind, but her blood work actually came back good. We have to change her food to a more kidney function friendly dry food because she is dehydrated, but no sign of diabetes or infection in her blood levels. The vet doesn't know why the sudden loss of the sight happened but she is a healthy cat at the 17 years old. It might possibly wasn't a "sudden" loss but alas I'm just grateful to still have her.

I'm not a hundred percent sure where this weekend is going to lead me, with the exception of Sunday night (Below), but it's the last weekend in September and I'm determined to do something FALL-esque. It will happen! =) Even if I just buy some apple cider, it will be something! lol.

Thursday Thoughts

Made using Canva

Today I need to hit the ground running...literally. I have a lot of work to do at my day job, we are hoping to find out the results of the blood work on my cat Angel to see why she could have gone blind, I'm off tomorrow for doctor's appointments, and I have to be out of the office today by 5:30pm. Yup, a little crazy Thursday to finish out week.
 
 So here's a quick little Thursday Thoughts post about some things I'm doing and using until my favorite blogging day - Friday! 

 

Blogging Tip: 
Canva

If you've been blogging for a while you might have heard of Canva. Canva has free images, fonts, layouts, and a variety of other usual tools to create pretty, crisp, and appropiate images for blog posts! Using Canva has completely changed my blogging life, eliminating the stress of taking that perfect picture for a blogpost during the day, especially when you are an almost daily blogger. It's very user-friendly too. Did I also mention its free? You can choose to upgrade to a paid account, but I'm very content using the free services. There is enough variety of free things to use if you hold out on the paid one.

My Writing Journey #2 - Following Guidelines & Waiting...

Hello Tuesday! 

"Is it raining in there? It's raining in here, too." 

I always loved that scene in Winnie the Pooh. It's raining so much in South Eastern NY, my phone alerts have gone off three times this afternoon.

I've never been good at following directions. Maybe that's why I'm not the greatest cook? lol. At least I can bake a good cupcake. But I can't skirt around the rules this time. In the current part of my writing journey it is crucial to follow guidelines and wait for the outcome.

For now, I have decided to pursue traditional publishing and I do not have an agent. Through my copious amount of research, I discovered it was possible to submit my work to publishers who don't require an agent. And I gave it a shot. I found publishers who accept my genre of manuscript and followed their submission guidelines.

I re-formatted, queried, proofread, over-analyzed, closed my eyes, took a deep breath and hit the send button. Quickly, I re-read the email over and over again to make sure I did it right. Then proceeded to freak out that I sent my erotic contemporary romance out into the world. Luckily the freak out was brief and I patted myself on the back for taking the initiative and finally submitting my work. 

Then you wait for a response...

Even if you have an agent you have to wait...

Even if you self-publish you have to wait...

Even if your Young Adult, Romance, Non-Fiction, Sci-Fi, or Anything...you have to wait...

Yup, waiting is inevitable...

 I don't exactly feel like Blake Lively in Shallow where she is clinging desperately to a buoy while a shark is circling her bleeding body, but I do feel like Saturday at NYC Comic Con, trying to claw my way through the masses of people trying desperately to get that limited edition prize only a few will get to win. It is a series of mixed emotions and definitely a different journey for every writer. 

The most crucial lesson I learned from this part of the process is that YOU MUST FOLLOW ALL SUBMISSION GUIDELINES or else you are short-changing the potential future of your hard work.

Let's dig in deeper...

How to Maintain a Bullet Journal

I can honestly say that I now own the most stickers I've ever owned in my entire life. Seven year old me is jealous AF and super proud of the woman she grew up to be. I was going to write a post on how to start a bullet journal, but from my experience maintaining a bullet journal is the real fun part!

Starting is Simple...overcoming the initial anxiety of creating your own content on a blank page is the hard part. But, as the cover of my dotted bullet journal says..."Nevertheless she persisted."  

 Barnes & Noble

My first few pages weren't that good. Even though I'm an arts & crafts type girl I struggled getting the hang of it at first. It could be my OCD when it comes to notebook things. If I mess up I want to desperately pull out the page and start again. With a dotted journal without a perforated edge you can't do that every time. Thank God for Washi tape and correction tape. The first batch of markers I bought bled right through the page which frustrated me as well. Then days got a little intense and I ran out of room with the way I set it up. 

But Pinterest...saved the day.

My Pinterest Bullet Journal Board - Here

Stolen Moments Sunday

Hello Fall! Now I don't have to hide my pumpkin everything I've been having since mid-August. Also, new season calls for a new Welcome mat for my condo. I'm such a lazy homeowner. Full disclosure, my neighbor got a new mat and I got jealous. I think mine was the same since I moved in 7 years ago. I went to A.C. Moore for this lovely treat. It's perfect and exactly what I wanted.

Bring on the Fall activities and sweaters! I will always be a jeans and a nice top girl, and Fall is my perfect time for just that. I can't wait to make some apple and pumpkin picking plans and hit up an Okbterfest or two. We stopped by one at our local Brewery Defiant Brewing Co. to pick up Steins for next weekend. That place has become our home away home and it's within walking distance of our condo. Yes, my husband and I need to move...but we're too busy loving our life here.

Sometimes blurry photos are the best. lol. 

Friday Favorites

{Canva}

It feels good to be back. There was definitely something missing in the last 3 months in my life. I did start the "hopeful" other books that will follow my first novel, but sometimes you need to let ideas marinate before you add them to the page. Writing daily helps me think of the other projects  and blogging is that perfect appetizer to my novel writing. Blogging also helps the creative flow for me.  Oh and it gets me to stop playing with my Nintendo Switch. haha.

Luckily I only have one game - Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wind, for now. I was beating the game too fast so I forced myself to slow down and pick up my computer again.

But anywho back on track. I live for the weekends and this Saturday is the first day of Fall!! Yes!! I will admit I've already been enjoying pumpkin everything since August, but now I don't have to be quiet about it. 

This weekend I have a good friend's birthday party, hopefully catching a movie, and getting some much needed rest after the long week. 

My Writing Journey #1 - Five Helpful Writing Youtube Channels

Happy Rainy Tuesday everyone! Down here in Southern New York were getting the last of the lingering effects from Hurricane Florence. I don't mind the rain. It always makes me want to listen to The Lumineers, The Shins, & other soft rock artists. Also, it gives me the perfect excuse to stay in and write. 

Over the past year and half I completed my first novel. It's still crazy to me to say the words out loud. I wrote a book. It's a dream I've always had since I was a kid and damn it was hard. I'm not exactly sure if I would be considered a "Pantser", but I did take an initial scene and spiral out from there letting the story take me where it wanted to go. About 50k words in...I had to start outlining and writing plot points down and backstories to the characters, when I realized I had a lot more to go. I guess I'm a hybrid of Pantser and Outliner...a P.O. without the box...lol.

I would never have been able to finish my hybrid work without watching fellow writers on Youtube, giving out extremely helpful tips, trying to keep their meowing cats out of the camera frame, battling the dreaded show vs tell argument, and most importantly relating to the struggles of becoming a writer. We all took high school English, but seriously listening to these amazing ladies has helped so much.

Better Late than Never...I'm back!

Have a vision. Be Demanding. 

Once in a blue moon you get a fortune cookie that resonates with you and changes everything. Yup that happened to me as well as a myriad of other things. Some were good and others not so great, but reflecting back, it was one hell of a summer. 

Like in TV Shows...Here are a few things you might have missed.

The unexpected departure of a co-worker caused my 9-5 job to became utterly swamped. Even that is an understatement. This shake-up changed how my job operates and finally it has returned to a new manageable normal.

I finished and submitted my first manuscript to book publishers. I think my writing hurdles series will need to turn into "My Writing Journey Series"...I will definitely be posting more about this in the weeks to come.

 I'm obsessed with my Bullet Journal...Literally.

I traveled to Disney World and the my favorite place ever Long Beach Island, New Jersey.

I saw Weezer in concert (I recommend if you're a fan!) and Evanescence with Lindsey Stirling and wow...what a concert!

I turned 33! Gulp. August was seriously just whiplash.

I'm absolutely excited for Fall and of course everything pumpkin. I'm more excited to get back into the swing of things here. I missed sitting here and writing.

The decision to put my focus into work and editing my first novel for the summer was a hard one, but I can't wait to share about the above and more.

Have a great night!
Until tomorrow... 

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My Weekend Trip To Saratoga Springs

Me at Braeburn Tavern

Sometimes you have to leave the husband home and drive 2 and a half hours for a friend's Bachelorette weekend! After all the extra hours I've put in at work I needed to kick back, drink fruity drinks out mason jars, get stuck in an inflatable tube, and make some new friends. 

Cheesy sounding, I know, but it's the honest truth. 

The destination picked was Saratoga Springs in upstate New York. I thought it was going to Lake George, but I'm mildly terrified of swimming in a lake so I was kinda happy about the final choice. Saratoga is best known for the horse races but even off season there is a lot of fun things to do! There were shops, wineries, breweries, restaurants, and the architecture of all the buildings is beautiful. It has all the New England prettiness without the 4 hour drive. 

Friday Favorites!

If you didn't know, I have a slight obsession with flamingos...My mom does too. When I finally move out my tiny apartment I will be that lawn with the plastic flamingos! Luckily Canva - which I use for most of my blog graphics had this little cutie! Perfect for today!

I can't until 3pm so I can get the hell out of here! I'm on my way up to Saratoga Springs in Upstate New York! I live downstate outside of New York City. It's about a 2 and a half hour drive and I'm super excited!

I do have a quick list of Friday Favorites from the week! Here it goes!

Thursday Thoughts: Ipsy, Disney, Magnolia Table, & The Ultimate Time Hop

Okay, the weekend needs to hurry up! 

~ This weekend I'm going to a bachelorette party mini getaway in upstate New York and there will be wine...oh yes there will be. Wine, fancy dinners, gossip, local town shopping, pool party, and a peek into the nightlife of somewhere new. After the craziness I've had at work these past few weeks I'm so excited to wind down for a 2 days. ~ 

~ Evidently a million things have changed at Walt Disney World since I went in 2002 and I'm not talking about them adding the Frozen ride. I now understand why people still use travel agents. It's quite stressful to set up the fast pass & reservations 30 days in advance. ~ 

~ Also Disney related - There is something called Disney Bounding where you dress up in normal clothes that make you look a version of a Disney character. I think I might have to do this...I'm obsessed with Nightmare Before Christmas. If I can do Sally easily I'm so in! ~ 

True Story: A Honeymoon, A Funeral, A Tesla, & Who The "F" Are They?

My favorite picture of my grandfather...Baby me eating his shoulder.

June 14th...Seriously, how did we get here? 

It seems like yesterday I was leaving for my honeymoon to the Dominican Republic and finding out my husband & I's luggage didn't exactly make the trip along with us. Oh yeah...not fun. Thankfully we were staying at an all in-clusive resort and we had a lot of cash with us. Let's just say I'm glad the gift shop sold maxi dresses and I was able to buy the a swimsuit.

This however was not yesterday. It was three years ago. When we returned after the most awkward honeymoon experience I found out my grandfather had passed away the day we left. I was lucky enough to see him a few weeks before and got to tell him I loved him. Of course it saddened me that my grandfather had died, but truly I felt like he was finally at peace. 

The next day after we came home we had to rush up to Connecticut for the funeral because luckily my family was able to wait for me to hold the services. But this is where things got even weirder. 

Craig noticed a Tesla in the church parking lot and asked me, "Who in your family drives a Tesla?" I had no idea and thought maybe it was my uncle's rental car. Why not drive a Tesla to your father's funeral service I thought. Or possibly there were two funerals happening at the same time. 

Ironically Craig and I accidentally went to a wrong cocktail at a wedding venue once. It happens, I swear it does.  lol. 

Movie Night: Lady Bird & Other Coming of Age Movies

Lady Bird 

All I can say is Wow. This is a great movie and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.

It's been a long while since I've seen a movie that spoke to me so clearly and tugged at memories I hadn't revisited in years. 

For me, this was a coming of age movie I wish 17 year old me could see, but thankfully I'm 32 year old me and I just want to write Greta Gerwig letter after letter say Thank You for making this movie over and over again. I can't relate to every part of it, but fuck, 90% of it I stopped what I was doing and remembered what it was like being a senior in high school in 2003. Even watching Laurie Metcalf struggle as a mother to support her family made me call up my mom and thank her for everything she's done to help me be where I am today.

P.S. This movie is not about Lady Bird Johnson. =P

Lady Bird is available on Amazon Prime Video. I want to watch it again to see what I missed. I remember trying out for the school play, I remember the first bad boy and the lies that followed, I remember going to Catholic school as a kid, and I remember talking over and over to my best friend about everything under the sun.