Five Books, Two Road Trips & the Perfection Trap
🍂 Hello, October!
It's been a busy month of books, writing, and a little exploring close to home. I enjoyed two Missouri road trips with friends, discovered a few new places, and even managed to step away from my computer for a while. Photos below.
📚 Books Read and Reviewed!
Did you know Goodreads now lets readers rate books using half and quarter stars? No more having to choose between four and five stars when a book deserves a 4.5. I love this!
And speaking of ratings, here's a friendly reminder: Book reviews matter! They help readers discover great books and help authors reach a wider audience. Here’s a review that recently made my day!
You don't need to write a lengthy review. A star rating or a sentence or two about what you enjoyed can make a difference.
Where can you share your thoughts? Amazon, Goodreads, BookBub, social media, and your local library are all good places to start. The next time you finish a book, take a minute to share your thoughts. Authors appreciate it more than you know!
★★★★ Mystic River — Dennis Lehane (Audiobook)
I seem to be choosing some hefty books lately, and Mystic River was no exception! At its heart, this is a story about three childhood friends whose lives take very different paths before tragedy brings them together again. What stayed with me was how events from childhood can shape people long into adulthood. It's a dark story, but one I won't soon forget. (Mature content)
★★★★ The Calamity Club — Kathryn Stockett (Audiobook)
This one took me a while to get into, but I'm glad I stuck with it. Set in Depression-era Mississippi, the story brings together women from very different circumstances who find strength in one another. The characters kept me listening, and the excellent narration brought them to life. At nearly 29 hours, it's quite a commitment! (Mature content)
★★★½ Blue Moon — Lee Child
After taking a writing masterclass with Lee Child, I was eager to pick up another Jack Reacher novel. I've always enjoyed this series, but this installment didn't quite measure up to my favorites. Reacher is still Reacher, with his knack for finding trouble and dispensing his own brand of justice. For me, though, the story didn't have quite the same pull as some of Child's earlier books.
★★★★★ All the Broken Places — John Boyne
My five-star read this month! This follow-up to The Boy in the Striped Pajamas introduces us to Gretel, a woman whose childhood continues to cast a shadow over her life decades later. I was drawn to the questions the story raises about guilt, responsibility, and whether we can ever truly escape our past. Gretel isn't always easy to admire, but that's part of what made her so compelling to me. A book that left me thinking long after I'd finished it.
★★★★ Sunrise on the Reaping — Suzanne Collins
Full disclosure: I'm a big fan of The Hunger Games. In fact, the original novel inspired me to try my hand at writing!
This prequel takes us back to Haymitch Abernathy's experience in the Quarter Quell. Knowing something about his future adds another layer to the story, particularly as we see the events that shape him. There's plenty of action, psychological manipulation, and heartbreak. I enjoyed returning to Panem, although this wasn't my favorite installment in the series.
Currently Reading
The Woman in Suite 11 — Ruth Ware (Audiobook)
One More Made Up Love Song — Jenny Proctor
When the Jessamine Grows — Donna Everhart
One Year After — William R. Forstchen
I'm looking for my next great read, preferably something everyone's talking about. Have a recommendation? Hit reply and tell me what's on your nightstand!
🚗 A Little Travel Fun
I managed to get away from my desk for two outings with friends. Both trips were close to home, but sometimes that's all you need.
First stop: Warrensburg, Missouri
We started with a late breakfast at Mary Jane's Cafe, a cozy, down-home spot. Then we headed to Pertle Springs for a little fresh air and time by the water before finishing the day with some shopping.
Good food, good friends, and no particular schedule. My kind of day!
Second stop: Hermann, Missouri
Hermann is a charming town along the Missouri River, known for its German heritage, wineries, and shops. One of the highlights of our visit was a guided tour of the historic underground wine cellars at Stone Hill Winery. I always enjoy discovering a little history while exploring somewhere new, and Hermann certainly delivered. I'd happily go back!
✍🏻 Behind the Keyboard
Meet Vivienne Johnson!
This month, I'm introducing you to the main character of my upcoming suspense novel, TRAPPED.
 Vivienne is a high school chemistry teacher in the small South Carolina town of Pinewood Hills. She's intelligent, analytical, and believes there's a logical explanation for just about everything. But life hasn't been kind to Vivienne.
Still grieving a devastating personal loss, she begins investigating a series of suspicious fires threatening her community. The more questions she asks, the more dangerous her search becomes. And when disaster strikes, Vivienne must put everything she knows about science and survival to the test.
One of the things I love about writing Vivienne is that she isn't fearless. But she is determined.
I can't wait for you to meet her! I'll have more news about publication dates in the coming weeks.
✨Don't Give Up! Overwhelm and Perfectionism
Have you ever looked at your to-do list and felt so overwhelmed you didn't know where to begin? Or spent hours working on a project, only to set it aside because it wasn't quite good enough? Maybe you've passed up an opportunity because you weren't sure you were ready.
I have. More times than I care to admit.
Over the past couple of newsletters, we've talked about self-doubt and how it can hold us back. I want to wrap up the series with two obstacles I know well: overwhelm and perfectionism. Overwhelm tells us there's too much to do. Perfectionism tells us we have to do it all perfectly.
And somewhere between those two thoughts, we get stuck.  Get Out of the Box Writing has taught me a thing or two about perfectionism. I can spend far too long tinkering with a sentence when what I really need to do is move on to the next paragraph. And when I think about everything involved in writing, publishing, and promoting a book, it's easy to feel overwhelmed.
I've learned that waiting until I feel completely prepared can mean waiting forever. The truth is, we don't have to know every step before taking the first one. And we certainly don't have to do everything perfectly.
Start small. Make the phone call. Register for the event. Write the first page. Go somewhere by yourself. Take a chance.
You might stumble. You might make a mistake. You might even discover that something isn't for you.
But you'll have learned something. And that's progress.
I'm cheering for you!
😁 Now, a Little Something to Make You Smile
 Thank you for being part of this community.
P.S. Enjoyed today's blog post? I'd love it if you'd forward it to a friend who might enjoy it, too. Blessings, Sandy |
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