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WHAT I'M READING
Jan 06, 2023 by HL Bernabe
courtesy cottonbro studioWhen I searched pexels for "sexy man reading book" this was the image that came up. Ummm...
I read a lot last year, but I didn't really keep track of it. Most of what I read was writing craft books for research. And smutty erotica books to figure out how to write sex scenes. (Also, how not to write them—some of that stuff is so awful it's hilarious.)
To help me come up with a good reading list, I created a spreadsheet of the winners of the major awards in sci-fi and fantasy from 2017 to 2021: the Hugo, the Nebula, the World Fantasy Awards. To round it out, I also included the top 20 Goodreads fantasy books for...
I read a lot last year, but I didn't really keep track of it. Most of what I read was writing craft books for research. And smutty erotica books to figure out how to write sex scenes. (Also, how not to write them—some of that stuff is so awful it's hilarious.)
To help me come up with a good reading list, I created a spreadsheet of the winners of the major awards in sci-fi and fantasy from 2017 to 2021: the Hugo, the Nebula, the World Fantasy Awards. To round it out, I also included the top 20 Goodreads fantasy books for...
HAPPY NEW YEAR! GET FREE BOOKS!
Dec 30, 2022 by HL Bernabe
Wow. This year is done already. It's hard to believe. It swept away like the seeds of a dandelion in a wind gust.
I've been working on my epic fantasy series since 2020. It feels simultaneously like I've been working on them forever, and yet also like I'm just getting started. This year has been a year of learning for me. I feel like I've been in grad school, learning the publishing and writing business. I have learned so much, sometimes I think my brain won't be able to hold it all.This year is also the year I started to get some things done. I wrote the prequel to my series, a novella called By Her Grace. It's published and...
It's here! It's done!
Dec 16, 2022 by HL Bernabe
My fantasy novella By Her Grace is finished! You can get it free. Please read it and comment below. Let me know what you think!
Get Free Copy Here
By Her Grace Cover Reveal
Dec 09, 2022 by HL Bernabe
The cover is finished, and now I'm just waiting for the formatting to get done. Hopefully, they will have it formatted before the end of the year! I'm so stinking excited! I can't wait to share my novella with you all.
Be sure to sign up for the newsletter to get a free copy! hlbernabe.com/newsletter-sign-up/
Here's the blurb:
Halfling chef Paisley Dell lives in Aspenwood, a small town at the meeting of two major trade roads. The Dells own the Rosebud Inn and are pillars of the halfling community.
Paisley is happy, but... something is missing. She feels unfulfilled and restless. On her Becoming Day, she meets a mysterious young human, pregnant and on the run, and through her Paisley glimpses a...
What We Did On Thanksgiving
Dec 02, 2022 by HL Bernabe
Bottom left orb I call the Twilight Zone. Bought it from a glass artist on Etsy.
Rocket ship Santa!
Pineapples are very Christmassy. Didn't you know?
There's no place like gnome.
Farmhouse fun!
Hanging with a nice cuppa joe.
Kitty temptation. Uh-oh.
We're done! Tired kiddo.
Can you tell what we did? These are pics of some of my favorite ornaments this year. We change our color theme from year to year. A few years ago, it was black, red and silver. Then blue, white, and sea themed. This year it's black, red and green. Next year we'll probably do blue and green. We try not to go too differently from year to year because I'm not made of money. Though I wish I was, because there are...
Rocket ship Santa!
Pineapples are very Christmassy. Didn't you know?
There's no place like gnome.
Farmhouse fun!
Hanging with a nice cuppa joe.
Kitty temptation. Uh-oh.
We're done! Tired kiddo.
Can you tell what we did? These are pics of some of my favorite ornaments this year. We change our color theme from year to year. A few years ago, it was black, red and silver. Then blue, white, and sea themed. This year it's black, red and green. Next year we'll probably do blue and green. We try not to go too differently from year to year because I'm not made of money. Though I wish I was, because there are...
NaNoWriMo 2022 NSFW Version
Nov 24, 2022 by HL Bernabe
NSFW You have been warned!
I'm taking part in NaNo again this year. For those of you who don't know what that is, NaNo is National Novel Writing Month, where a bunch of us writers all get together in spirit and write our asses off, with the goal of reaching 50,000 words. I have participated the last two years, and "won", i.e. I reached the target goal and then some.
For my last two NaNos, I worked on my fantasy novel series. This year I needed a break to refresh. Working on one thing for so long, even when I love the project, can be tedious. I needed to do something different, something to take myself out of that world, so...
I'm taking part in NaNo again this year. For those of you who don't know what that is, NaNo is National Novel Writing Month, where a bunch of us writers all get together in spirit and write our asses off, with the goal of reaching 50,000 words. I have participated the last two years, and "won", i.e. I reached the target goal and then some.
For my last two NaNos, I worked on my fantasy novel series. This year I needed a break to refresh. Working on one thing for so long, even when I love the project, can be tedious. I needed to do something different, something to take myself out of that world, so...
The Only Way I get Any Work Done these Days
Nov 11, 2022 by HL Bernabe
Meli being a pill
The things we do to keep our cats happy. I swear. She loves to burrow under the blanket. I always have a blanket on when I am at my desk, because there's a draft near my desk and I'm cold. So she burrows under my blanket and when she's there, there is no place for my keyboard.
As they say, necessity is the mother of invention. Viola! My new desk. She didn't seem to mind, and slept right through me typing away.
The things we do to keep our cats happy. I swear. She loves to burrow under the blanket. I always have a blanket on when I am at my desk, because there's a draft near my desk and I'm cold. So she burrows under my blanket and when she's there, there is no place for my keyboard.
As they say, necessity is the mother of invention. Viola! My new desk. She didn't seem to mind, and slept right through me typing away.
By Her Grace Update
Nov 04, 2022 by HL Bernabe
courtesy pexels and Cottonbro
Exciting things are brewing with my novella. I finished it, and edited the crap out of it using ProWritingAid (PWA), had it beta read by several people, did some developmental edits, edited the crap out of it some more, and sent it off to a proofreader.
During one summit I went to recently, people were the extolling the virtues of AutoCrit, another editing software like PWA. And quite a few said they had both PWA AND AutoCrit, and that they found having both was helpful. I was hesitant, but they were offering a lifetime license on something that is normally a yearly subscription, and that subscription is spendy. So I splurged.
Wow! I'm glad I did. Running By...
Exciting things are brewing with my novella. I finished it, and edited the crap out of it using ProWritingAid (PWA), had it beta read by several people, did some developmental edits, edited the crap out of it some more, and sent it off to a proofreader.
During one summit I went to recently, people were the extolling the virtues of AutoCrit, another editing software like PWA. And quite a few said they had both PWA AND AutoCrit, and that they found having both was helpful. I was hesitant, but they were offering a lifetime license on something that is normally a yearly subscription, and that subscription is spendy. So I splurged.
Wow! I'm glad I did. Running By...
Heads 'Sploding Everywhere
Oct 29, 2022 by HL Bernabe
courtesy pexels and Nadezhda Moryak
Oh, my goodness. I am soooo tired. These last two weeks, I've attended THREE different writer summits. So much content, so much stuff to learn, so much well, MUCH.
Ray Brehm and Paul Brodie hosted the first one, and it was called the Platform Building Summit. It was all about building an author platform, getting readers, marketing, etc. The second summit was called Escape the Plot Forest and hosted by Daniel David Wallace. It was about things related to plotting, outlining, and so on. The actual craft of writing. The last one I went to I haven't finished yet, because some of these summits overlapped each other. ProWritingAid had a romance writers summit. And even though it...
Oh, my goodness. I am soooo tired. These last two weeks, I've attended THREE different writer summits. So much content, so much stuff to learn, so much well, MUCH.
Ray Brehm and Paul Brodie hosted the first one, and it was called the Platform Building Summit. It was all about building an author platform, getting readers, marketing, etc. The second summit was called Escape the Plot Forest and hosted by Daniel David Wallace. It was about things related to plotting, outlining, and so on. The actual craft of writing. The last one I went to I haven't finished yet, because some of these summits overlapped each other. ProWritingAid had a romance writers summit. And even though it...
Portal Series by K. S. Wood Book Review
Oct 21, 2022 by HL Bernabe
K. S. Wood has written 15 books and novellas all set within the same world. Well, no, that isn't correct. This is portal fantasy fiction, so the books and novellas are all set in different worlds, all within the same universal setting.
I first read Halfling, because I have a halfling main character in Cooking Up Magick and I thought it would be fun to read another book about halflings. I was wrong in my assumption about the halflings—Wood's halflings are not the same as my halflings. My halflings are a race of people that are about half the size of humans, but are otherwise like them in every way. Her halfling in this novella was a half human, half...
Finishing Novella
Oct 14, 2022 by HL Bernabe
Work on my novella continues. I'm thinking about changing the title to Grace. I like it better, but it doesn't give much of a fantasy vibe. By Her Grace is only marginally better in that regard. We'll see. Having a picture of a cast-iron skillet on the cover will give it even more of a fantasy appeal. Not. But... this is a prequel to Cooking Up Magick, an epic fantasy about a young halfling woman who goes on a quest to learn the world's cuisines, so... it seems appropriate. And this novella is all about how Paisley Dell gets the courage to go on that quest, and how she gives her favorite pan a name.
I got some great feedback from...
VACATION-- Road Trip to L.A.
Oct 07, 2022 by HL Bernabe
As the sign says...
Climbing rocks at Kissing Rock, Oregon
Rock shop guardian
Golden Gate Bridge
Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco
Mmm. Chocolate. Ghirardelli Chocolate Experience in San Francisco
L.A. Coliseum tunnel
Getting ready for the concert
Rammstein
Rammstein
Rammstein
Rammstein
Kaz Capturing Octopus at Monterey Bay Aquarium
Moon Jelly at Monterey Bay Aquarium
Jellies at Monterey Bay Aquarium
Fishing reel at Monterey Bay Aquarium
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Campfire!
STATS
Climbing rocks at Kissing Rock, Oregon
Rock shop guardian
Golden Gate Bridge
Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco
Mmm. Chocolate. Ghirardelli Chocolate Experience in San Francisco
L.A. Coliseum tunnel
Getting ready for the concert
Rammstein
Rammstein
Rammstein
Rammstein
Kaz Capturing Octopus at Monterey Bay Aquarium
Moon Jelly at Monterey Bay Aquarium
Jellies at Monterey Bay Aquarium
Fishing reel at Monterey Bay Aquarium
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Campfire!
STATS
BY HER GRACE
Sep 30, 2022 by HL Bernabe
I wrote a novella! It's called By Her Grace. It ties into Cooking Up Magick, the book I have set to launch next year, and the novella is a prequel.Halfling chef Paisley Dell lives in Aspenwood, a small town at the confluence of two major trade roads. The Dells own the Rosebud Inn and are pillars of the halfling community.
Paisley is happy, but... something is missing. She feels unfulfilled and restless. On her Becoming Day, she gets sucked into the intrigue of a mysterious young human, pregnant and on the run, and through her Paisley glimpses a world she desperately wishes she could know. A world of spice, elves, and exotic, faraway places.
As their friendship grows with every...
Cat Snuggles Round #386
Sep 23, 2022 by HL Bernabe
Meli Kitty
As we have established, Meli loves to snuggle me under covers. I'm trying to get some work done on Canva, and she is making it incredibly difficult, because her body is blocking my access to my keyboard. But you know the rule, once a cat is on you, you aren't allowed to move her. (Who makes these rules?)
She is really more on the desk than on me, but still. She's purring! When Meli is purring, I really don't want to move her. She is too adorable and sweet. So to get any work done, I have to hold up my keyboard in one hand and type with the other. It's ridiculous.
I think my fellow cat owners will...
As we have established, Meli loves to snuggle me under covers. I'm trying to get some work done on Canva, and she is making it incredibly difficult, because her body is blocking my access to my keyboard. But you know the rule, once a cat is on you, you aren't allowed to move her. (Who makes these rules?)
She is really more on the desk than on me, but still. She's purring! When Meli is purring, I really don't want to move her. She is too adorable and sweet. So to get any work done, I have to hold up my keyboard in one hand and type with the other. It's ridiculous.
I think my fellow cat owners will...
VACATION, HERE WE COME
Sep 19, 2022 by HL Bernabe
Oregon Coast Highway 101
For the first time in my life, I am taking a vacation that is longer than nine days. I could have taken a longer one before, but I usually opted to break it up into smaller mini vacations. Not this time, though. This time, I have 16 days off in a row.
Whoo! Road trip, baby! My daughter got their vacation request approved as well, and now we're going to hit the road tomorrow. My 20-year-old kiddo and I will be in the car, singing Queen, AC/DC, and Rammstein at the top of our lungs on a rockin' road trip. Destination: sunny Los Angeles, California.
We are going to have SO MUCH FUN! I feel so blessed that...
For the first time in my life, I am taking a vacation that is longer than nine days. I could have taken a longer one before, but I usually opted to break it up into smaller mini vacations. Not this time, though. This time, I have 16 days off in a row.
Whoo! Road trip, baby! My daughter got their vacation request approved as well, and now we're going to hit the road tomorrow. My 20-year-old kiddo and I will be in the car, singing Queen, AC/DC, and Rammstein at the top of our lungs on a rockin' road trip. Destination: sunny Los Angeles, California.
We are going to have SO MUCH FUN! I feel so blessed that...
Fall Into Fantasy 2022
Sep 16, 2022 by HL Bernabe
Sneak peek at the beautiful cover of the new anthology, courtesy of Andrew Farrell
I tend to write big. Like 350K+ words and still not done with my epic fantasy big. The idea of condensing a story into 5,000 words is crazy to me. So I've been trying to read more short stories, trying to figure out the magical mystery of what makes a good one.
Somehow I stumbled across Andrew Farrell of Cloaked Press and Fall Into Fantasy. I agreed to do an ARC read (that's an advanced reader copy) for the 2022 edition. From what I have found on Amazon, Cloaked Press has put out an anthology of short stories every year as far back as 2017. ARC readers...
I tend to write big. Like 350K+ words and still not done with my epic fantasy big. The idea of condensing a story into 5,000 words is crazy to me. So I've been trying to read more short stories, trying to figure out the magical mystery of what makes a good one.
Somehow I stumbled across Andrew Farrell of Cloaked Press and Fall Into Fantasy. I agreed to do an ARC read (that's an advanced reader copy) for the 2022 edition. From what I have found on Amazon, Cloaked Press has put out an anthology of short stories every year as far back as 2017. ARC readers...
3 Day Novel Writing Contest
Sep 10, 2022 by HL Bernabe
I looked JUST LIKE THIS.
So I did this crazy thing. It's called the 3 Day Novel Writing Contest. Anvil Press holds this contest over the three days of the Labor Day weekend. The idea is to write a novel in three days. Contestants get 72 hours to write a complete draft of a story. You know, with engaging characters, snappy dialogue, conflict, good pacing, an interesting plot, and so on. In 72 hours. In order to do that, the writer must unleash those creative juices, massage the brain, imbibe a shit-ton of java, prop their eyeballs open with toothpicks, and not die. Oh, and of course, write their ass off. Did I mention this was over the course of only...
So I did this crazy thing. It's called the 3 Day Novel Writing Contest. Anvil Press holds this contest over the three days of the Labor Day weekend. The idea is to write a novel in three days. Contestants get 72 hours to write a complete draft of a story. You know, with engaging characters, snappy dialogue, conflict, good pacing, an interesting plot, and so on. In 72 hours. In order to do that, the writer must unleash those creative juices, massage the brain, imbibe a shit-ton of java, prop their eyeballs open with toothpicks, and not die. Oh, and of course, write their ass off. Did I mention this was over the course of only...
The Box Says It All
Aug 26, 2022 by HL Bernabe
Kitty in a box. Tribble just can't help herself. Amazon scores a win on this one.
Forward Progress
Aug 19, 2022 by HL Bernabe
I received my developmental edits back for my epic fantasy book, Cooking Up Magick. Overall, my editor had very positive things to say, so that was a relief. Of course, every manuscript has things to work on, though. So, I let it percolate in my brain for a couple of weeks, and then my kiddo was gracious enough to brainstorm with me about my editor's notes to come up with solutions and ways to improve the book.
(I swear my kid is my muse. In the ideas department, they are amazing. I'm so blessed to have such an amazingly creative kiddo. I love you, sweetie! You have my undying gratitude!)
I have been plugging away at them ever since. I'm about...
The Sidekicks Initiative Audiobook Review
Aug 12, 2022 by HL Bernabe
read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B07DR42DXT&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_PNZRPPDWA9MY78ZEVXWM
Oh, my goodness. This book, y'all. I couldn't stop laughing. Now, just so you know, it is really hard to get me to laugh out loud while reading a book, even a funny one. Usually, I smile and nod, or maybe I'll do a small chuckle once in a while. But this book made me guffaw, snort, and laugh out loud—sometimes hysterically. And it did this to me many, many times over the course of the book.
Part of the hilarity comes from the premise of the book. The government comes calling on retired sidekicks after their heroes get murdered by an unknown villain of incredible power. The three sidekicks are: Sam (aka Kid Random) whose power is to change reality...
Oh, my goodness. This book, y'all. I couldn't stop laughing. Now, just so you know, it is really hard to get me to laugh out loud while reading a book, even a funny one. Usually, I smile and nod, or maybe I'll do a small chuckle once in a while. But this book made me guffaw, snort, and laugh out loud—sometimes hysterically. And it did this to me many, many times over the course of the book.
Part of the hilarity comes from the premise of the book. The government comes calling on retired sidekicks after their heroes get murdered by an unknown villain of incredible power. The three sidekicks are: Sam (aka Kid Random) whose power is to change reality...