Tag: Goodreads

Word Salad.

Sara Mazariegos

I attended the Gaithersburg Book Festival this past Saturday. It was inspiring to see so many book lovers and listen to authors detail their work routines (and their addictions to reading Goodreads reviews!) I left with three new books and several publishing companies’ bookmarks. A+ would do it again.

I’ve reached the point in revising my novel where I’ve tasked myself with making a significant change. I think it will really help the plot, but it’s still weighty to make a big change when the story has been one way for so long. All good authors make changes though! That’s what I keep telling myself.

Next month, I’m planning to attend an Ali Hazelwood event for her newest book (Love, Theoretically) — day job permitting. I find that what ignites me the most is reading/watching other authors discussing their writing. Enthusiasm breeds enthusiasm, at least for me.

What gets you excited about writing?

Romance Shelf.

Sara Mazariegos

I have so many romance novels now — thank you, comps! — that I need a new bookshelf to hold them all. I told my husband that he could get me a romance shelf for our anniversary this year, so we don’t have a bookvalanche in our dining room.

As much as I love libraries, I’m a slow reader. I read several books quickly recently because the due dates made me, but I prefer being able to sit down and slowly digest what I’m reading. We went to Target with our friend recently, and I discovered to my delight that the shelves there are basically Goodreads in person.


Seriously, this looks like my feed. It’s apparently “BookTok.” I need to get past the anxiety that app gives me and check out some of their TikToks…

Buying books in the genre I’m writing has given me such joy. Research can be fun.

Just have to make sure not to overfill my new shelf!

Josh G.A.D.*

Sara Mazariegos

I spoke to a therapist last year. It didn’t really go that well, mostly because she was into chakras and repeated mantras and stuff, and I mostly wanted to talk about things that bothered me. Still, it was a useful experience because it showed me what doesn’t help and what does. One takeaway I had was — I think — accidental on her part. She put into the notes of some insurance coverage form that I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

Unsurprisingly, this wasn’t a surprise to me.

It was helpful for me to see it, even if it was unofficial since she never told me I had it.

I’ve been doing better with telling myself to calm down, it’s just my anxiety talking, my feelings are valid but also based on synapses misfiring so maybe take stock in that, etc. Knowing what’s going on in my brain helps me control it, at least more than I could before.

I recently started reading Mr. Perfect on Paper by Jean Meltzer. I went into it without realizing that the female protagonist has G.A.D. like me. So far (I’m not far into it yet) that’s my favorite part. It’s soothing to read about characters that are like me, what can I say?

The main character in my novel also has G.A.D., but it’s casual, undiagnosed G.A.D.

That reminds me: I added handy social media links to my website, so you can visit my Goodreads to see what I’ve been (slowly) reading. Also, you can find my other social links. I can be found just about everywhere on the social internet, just don’t judge me too harshly. I’ve been on it since I was ten, remember.

*No offense to Josh Gad, I just always think of him when I think about this stuff. It’s strangely comforting.