Audely Bensen Writes

I picked up Salt Bones by Jennifer Givhan on a whim at the library as something I intended to take on my family's annual summer trip up to Wisconsin. Given its heft, I assumed it would be a solid contribution towards the week away from phone signal and reliable internet.  Instead, it didn't even make it into the car.  Because I finished it within a day of getting it home from the library. Poor book never stood a chance of making it across state lines. Once I started reading, I just could not stop. It had been a while since anything had gripped me this way.  I think part of the draw was that for the most part, I've been reading a lot of formulaic books. I've gotten very deep into Nora Robert's In Death series since the spring, and when I'm not reading those, have been trying to keep my reading light with a series of romance novels. Salt Bones was described as magical realism, mystery, and family drama in some corners of the internet; and as a southwestern gothic...

I've been really bad at going to the library lately. For a while I was on a good streak: no more than 3 books out at time, and going in at least once a week to spend some time working from the library itself. Then the summer happened, and with it, my break in usual workload. Without the pressure to write somewhere fun, I started going to the library once a month, and checking out 6-7 books at a time, which then only delayed me more in making time to return them. All of that to say, when I went in to the library the day after learning that Sangu Mandanna had a new book out, and there it was, just waiting for me, even though I already had an armful of books--of course I checked it out.  A Witch's Guide to Magical Inkeeping was, of course, adorable. Mandanna once again drew together a cast of crotchety and lovable characters who realize over the scope of the book that they need each other. It was precious, and I loved it.  My only complaint with the book is that despite my overl...

View from a hike in Shenandoah during our biannual sister trip When I last posted about my annual goals , it was March.  Since then, real life has been full to bursting, between a death in the family, instability in the day job industry, some very exciting personal news, and the general sense of living through the apocalypse. Combining all of those stress-inducing factors...I lost track of the months. At the end of each of the last few months I went to sit down to write up the Quarter 2 update and had the sense that I was off count, and it wasn't time to sit down and provide an update yet.  It turns out, I was off, just not in the direction I intended to be. So, here's my update on what I've been working on for the last 5 months (oops)  April. Re-outlined Beekeeper, and tried not to drown at work, while dealing with some health challenges. Survival was the goal for April, and we met that mark, if only.  May & June. I revised Beekeeper over 45 "working" days. I...